Results 14,401-14,420 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Policy Functions (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 to 9, inclusive, together. The role of the social policy and public service reform division is to support me, as Taoiseach, and the Government in delivering on the programme for Government objective of public policies and services that support a socially inclusive and fair society. The division supports the work of Cabinet committee B and the associated...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I will do the best I can. First, the PwC cultural audit of the Garda made interesting reading. I read it with some degree of concern. I welcome the fact the audit was done. Many big organisations do not conduct cultural audits. I am not sure whether we have done one in the Oireachtas. It would be an interesting option that the Ceann Comhairle might consider.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: However, I welcome that it was done. It is part of a genuine effort by the Garda to reform and modernise, both as an organisation and as a workplace. The job now is to make changes, put those changes in place and then repeat the audit, perhaps in a couple of years' time to see whether it has made a difference. That is how the audit cycle works - one finds out what is the issue, one makes...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together. Cabinet committee G last met on Monday, 16 April. The date of the next meeting has not been finalised. In addition to meetings of the full Cabinet and Cabinet committees, I meet Ministers on an individual basis as required to focus on particular issues. In this regard, I regularly meet the Minister for Justice and Equality,...

Order of Business (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I am not aware of any specific issues relating to delayed tests in Louth or Meath. I will pass it on to the Minister for Health and ask him to provide Deputy Byrne with a detailed reply. It certainly is no secret that blood tests, X-rays, operations and all sorts of investigations are outsourced to the private sector and private laboratories. That has been the case for a long time....

Order of Business (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There are no disciplinary processes under way that I am aware of. Not being the employer, however, I may not necessarily be aware of them for obvious reasons. As I have said before, we are seeking four things. The first is to care for the women and their families. The second is to get to the truth. The third is to establish accountability. The fourth is to rebuild confidence in...

Order of Business (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I am not in a position to comment on any individual case. I understand smear tests done as part of CervicalCheck are sent to different labs, depending on what region the person lives in. The Irish Family Planning Association tests go to the Coombe. It may be of interest to the House to know that I have confirmed that the laboratory to which Vicky Phelan's smear tests were sent has not been...

Order of Business (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: We will certainly look into it.

Order of Business (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: A memorandum is due to come to the Cabinet in the next few weeks. After that, primary legislation will be required. I cannot predict how long that will take to get through the Dáil and Seanad. We intend to have the new scheme in place next year sometime.

Order of Business (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid I have nothing to add to the update the Minister, Deputy Richard Bruton, gave us last week. Clearly, the issue is ongoing. Certainly we all want to make sure the kids will be in the new schools by September at the very latest. I will certainly speak to the Minister about the issue to see if there is anything I can do. If a personal intervention on my part would make a...

Order of Business (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Perhaps a Topical Issue Matter or a priority question to the Minister, Deputy Shane Ross, might elicit a response.

Order of Business (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I want to repeat the Government's condemnation of the violence that has occurred between Israel and Gaza. Our view is that the Israeli Defence Forces have used disproportionate force in using live ammunition against civilians and thereby causing numerous deaths, including the deaths of young people and children. The Tánaiste called the Israeli ambassador into the Department of Foreign...

Order of Business (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The programme for Government promises that legislation will be introduced to legislate for mandatory open disclosure. We will do that as soon we possibly can.

Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Head 5 relates to emergency situations. Supervision exists already in the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act to allow for one doctor to intervene-----

Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----in those emergency situations, and that is what that is for.

Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: We have good maternity services in Ireland but we would be very unwise to think a relatively low maternal mortality rate means that we have the best maternity services in the world. We do not have that and never did.

Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Unfortunately, there are major shortcomings in our maternity services and that has been laid bare in several hospitals around the country in recent times-----

Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----and through a number of cases of which many Members are aware. As Minister for Health, I produced the first national maternity strategy, which is a strategy to improve significantly our maternity services. As Minister for Health I produced the first national maternity strategy, which is a strategy to improve our maternity services significantly, and as Taoiseach I am making sure the...

Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I do not know anything about the details of that specific case, so it would be improper for me to comment on it. It relates, obviously, to a vaccine rather than the issue of cervical cancer screening, but I appreciate it is part of the bigger issue of how we deal with medical harm and medical negligence. The last time I studied that topic and got a briefing on it, my understanding was...

Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: When this referendum campaign started, or certainly the day that the Government confirmed that we would hold a referendum, I said that I hoped that the campaign would always be respectful and never become personalised. I think that, by and large, that has been the case. We are only a week and a half away from polling day and, by and large, this has been a much more respectful campaign than...