Results 1,421-1,440 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Communications (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----are doing. In relation to thalidomide survivors, there is a process of engagement currently under way with at least some of the survivors of thalidomide, although there are different groups and many different individuals involved. Progress has been made with respect to the provision of health and social care assistance to respond to the current and future needs of thalidomide survivors....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 13 together. The Cabinet committee on health last met on 19 June and is currently scheduled to meet next on 24 July. The Cabinet committee on health oversees the programme for Government commitments relating to health and receives detailed reports on identified policy areas. It considers the progress of health reforms including Sláintecare, the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Communications (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their questions. On the mother and baby homes institutions and the payment scheme in that regard, the establishment of the mother and baby institutional payments scheme is an important commitment in the Government's response to the final report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related matters. The scheme we have proposed goes...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Communications (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----I just do not know at this stage.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Communications (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I just cannot say that at this stage. It certainly will not be ignored. On the issue of abortion, we live in a democracy. Laws on abortion in Ireland are made by the people, either by the Dáil or by the public through a referendum. A very clear decision was made in 1983, a subsequent decision was made by the public in the 1990s, and a very clear decision was made in 2018 to...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Communications (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: No matter what our laws are going to be in Ireland, there will always be people who think they are too liberal or who think they are too restrictive. People may decide to travel overseas-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Communications (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----to jurisdictions where the laws are more liberal. I accept the review is in the law. I wrote the legislation with the then Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, and his colleagues. I absolutely understand that the review is part of the law. There is no requirement in the law for the Government to implement everything that is in the review, or for Parliament, which will ultimately...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Communications (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The purpose of the review is that recommendations are made. Those are then studied, you decide which ones to accept or not, and then act from there. That is how a review works and how it has always worked.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Communications (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy should be aware of that. On the wider issue of homelessness, as I have often said, homelessness is a stain on our society. It is something I and others find deeply shameful. It happens for all sorts of reasons. Of course, a big part of the context is the housing shortage, which makes the situation so much worse. However, other factors are involved, for example, mental...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Communications (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----in the first place, and then getting them out of homelessness as quickly as we can. However, it is a complex issue with lots of different issues to be teased out. I met a homeless family in my constituency only a week or two ago. I am doing my best to help them out. Homelessness can mean different things. They are in a two-bedroom apartment that is provided by the council. They do...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I could be wrong on this. My understanding is that report was published in the past two days or at least was due to be published by the Minister for Justice. What we have is a thorough and comprehensive report which contains a number of important recommendations. Judge Haughton ultimately concluded that there are no circumstances surrounding the death of Shane O'Farrell that warrant...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I will have to ask the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to come back to the Deputy with a further update. Roughly €500 million is allocated each year for national roads - half for maintenance and restoration and half for new projects. It is not the case that every project gets funded every year. We have not decided yet on the allocations for 2024. Certainly, where there are a number of...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Communications (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together. In the past ten years, apologies have been issued in the Dáil, by the Taoiseach on behalf of the State. In February 2013, the then Taoiseach, Mr. Enda Kenny, issued an apology on behalf of the Government in Dáil Éireann to women who were resident in Magdalen laundries for hurt done to them and any stigma suffered by...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy Moynihan for raising this important issue. Public sector pensions have increased in recent years. Depending on the scheme, the pension either goes up with inflation or with the earnings of the people in the job the pensioner previously held. I understand that in some cases, those increases have not been paid. I give the assurance that anyone entitled to an increase will get...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy Stanley for raising this important issue, which I will take up with the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley. We now have a school building programme every year and beautiful new schools are being built and new extensions are being added around the country. Where a new school is needed, it is provided. Sometimes the new school is not provided quickly enough but it is...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I know the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael McGrath, has taken an interest in this issue. He is doing some work in that regard at the moment. Many people who take out a loan or mortgage with a particular bank never contemplate the possibility that it could be sold on to a financial entity they may never even have heard of. While the contractual terms and conditions...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy Stanton for raising this matter. As he points out, a tick bite can cause Lyme disease, which can be a very severe illness. People are probably not as aware as they might be about the risks. I will check with the HSE but I believe some work is under way involving the HSE and the National Parks and Wildlife Service to make people aware of the risks.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I will double-check on this and come back to the Deputy but my understanding is that we accepted that Bill with a timed amendment. I could be wrong but I thought we accepted the Bill with a timed amendment to give us a few months to work out some of the issues the Deputy raised around having an accurate register and so on.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I will double-check with the Minister for Finance.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. My understanding is that the various NGOs and interest groups that represent protected categories, such as women's groups, LGBT groups, Traveller groups and so on, broadly support the legislation. If that has changed, it is new information to me. The intention of the Minister is to conclude the Bill in the Seanad as soon as we can but obviously commencing it will take a...