Results 1,401-1,420 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (5 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: That was a statement; there was no question.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I know Deputy Cairns raised it yesterday as well. I do not want to comment directly on Dr. Fiona Kelly or Castletownbere, but I will certainly make sure that somebody, either from my office or that of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, reaches out to her to hear what she has to say. I do know something about general...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----which creates the impression that the number of GPs is going down. It is not. Is going up, and it has never been higher.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: We are working with doctors to deal with some of those issues. For example, just on 3 April, we published the terms of reference for a strategic review of general practice. That is the HSE and all stakeholders, including the Irish College of General Practitioners, ICGP, and the Irish Medical Organisation, IMO, working together to deal with some of the issues the Deputy mentioned. Yet, some...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (5 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Before I respond, I want to welcome two visitor groups to the Gallery. Visitors from the Deise Women's Shed are here from Dungarvan as guests of Senator Cummins. They are all very welcome. Also, visitors from the Portlaoise Active Retirement Group are here as guests of the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming. It is great to have them all in the Chamber this morning. I hope we did not...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: RTÉ is a public body. It is also a semi-State or State-owned enterprise. A set of salary caps apply in State-owned enterprises and there is a code of practice for commercial semi-States as to how they are supposed to operate. We will have to establish very quickly whether any of the caps that exist were broken and whether the code of practice for commercial semi-States was breached. ...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Many different things need to be taken into account when considering these matters. The cost of pensions for retired public servants is extremely high, if you think about it. They receive half their salary for the rest of their lives. When it comes to saving money and so on, all of that needs to be borne in mind. The same thing goes for redundancy and dismissal. All these things need to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: This is an emerging situation and it is evolving. I shared two reflections in Brussels last week that I will share again. There is an issue in respect of the interplay of the executive board and the board. It is an unusual structure for a company or public body. We will have to establish whether that was a significant part of the problem. Things that would have gone to a board in an...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: It is important to point out that there is more than one person on the executive board. In any democracy, in any decent society, as I am sure the Deputy will agree, anyone should be afforded due process. For me now to condemn en massean entire executive board made up of several different people who had several different roles would not only be unfair but potentially would leave the State...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I know a lot about what happens in RTÉ. Their annual report and accounts are presented to Cabinet and, in addition, I have periodic meetings with senior people in RTÉ. I would meet the DG, maybe once or twice a year. On the existence of barter accounts, the Deputy is correct that the issue is not the barter accounts per se. Barter accounts, I understand, are...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Public trust cannot be restored without truth, transparency and accountability. What we need now is an end to the drip-feed of information. We need all the information out there, if not today then certainly in the coming days. With transparency we have truth and then there can be further accountability thereafter. It is essential that we draw a line under this affair as soon as we...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Last year in Ireland, we marked 100 years as a democratic and independent state. We are now one of the oldest continuous democracies in the world and our ability to fulfil our destiny as a free and independent country has depended, in part, on freedom of expression, a free media and a strong public service broadcast sector. Public service broadcasting from RTÉ and others has been a...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff (5 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Staff employed in the Department of the Taoiseach are aligned to existing Civil Service grades and paid on the appropriate pay scales which are published on Gov.ie. The table provides the salaries of the top ten highest paid civil servants in the Department of the Taoiseach. Grade: Gross Annual Salary: Secretary General € 242,250 ...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: State Bodies (5 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The salary of the Chief Officer of the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO), the only body under the aegis of my Department, is provided below in tabular format from 2020 to date. No other benefits, including loyalty payments/bonuses or other benefits-in-kind, were paid during this period. Payment is aligned to Civil Service pay scale of Assistant Secretary and increases...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Equipment (5 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The situation described has not arisen in the Department of the Taoiseach.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I do not know exactly what the individual circumstances are that the Deputy mentioned, but if she wants to send me the details I will certainly make further inquiries about them. Deputy Gino Kenny raised the Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use. When it makes its recommendations, they will be considered in good faith by the Government. As with the review that Deputy Bríd Smith...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Indeed, the union side is very much against the idea of being forced to agree to something, because it wants to be able to have a ballot, etc. The same would apply to shareholders and a board. I did not quite catch Deputy Ó Murchú's question, but I will come back to him by correspondence.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Transport Policy (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 to 16, inclusive, together. Requests for the use of the ministerial air transport service are made by Ministers' private secretaries to my office and are dealt with, in the first instance, by the staff of my office. Requests are examined by staff with regard to the need for and the purpose of travel, the destination, the availability and the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Transport Policy (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: First of all, I join Deputy Boyd Barrett in congratulating Jack Marley, our first heavyweight boxer to qualify. I saw him on the news last night and was really impressed to see that so many of our athletes are qualifying at the moment. The rugby sevens men and women have qualified, and boxers and others have qualified too. We provide a significant amount of State funding for sport. We...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I will have to beg indulgence and forgiveness from colleagues as I was not able to take everything down as quickly as I was asked questions. My officials are keeping an eye on this and will come back to Deputies with written replies where I am unable to give a verbal reply. In response to Deputy Barry's initial question, I am genuinely sorry to hear about his constituent's experience. The...