Results 14,421-14,440 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar
- Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)
Leo Varadkar: The Deputy makes some very valid points. There has been too much political point scoring on this issue and a degree of political opportunism. If we genuinely want to put women and patients in general first, we should look for solutions and ask what we can actually do to improve the situation that has gone on for decades. A suite of measures is required. I argue that we are making good...
- Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)
Leo Varadkar: Our view as a Government is that we solve conflict through dialogue. Dialogue requires engagement and requires an interlocutor. In this country, just over 20 years ago, it was necessary to engage in dialogue with terrorists in order to bring about peace on this island. That had to be done and it was the right thing to do. We believe, and I think Sinn Féin would understand this, that...
- Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)
Leo Varadkar: For these reasons, we will not be recalling the Irish ambassador or expelling the Israeli ambassador. We will continue to engage with Israel and Palestine and try to be part of a future peace process. We will also act through the United Nations. We have given our support to the UN Secretary General in his call for an independent investigation into this matter. I will attend the EU Council...
- Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)
Leo Varadkar: I will be putting across the views of the Irish Government and Irish people very strongly at the summit over the next two days. The programme for Government commits the Government to recognising Palestine as a state as part of a two-state peace solution, and we stand over that Government commitment, but we do not yet have a peaceful solution.
- Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)
Leo Varadkar: If we were to expel Israel's ambassador, Israel would expel ours. As far as Israel is concerned, Ireland would be taken off the map and as far as Ireland is concerned, Israel would be taken off the map.
- Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)
Leo Varadkar: There would be no engagement. The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade called in the ambassador of Israel this morning and told him exactly what the Government and the people thought about what was happening in Gaza. He told him about our objections to it and where we stood. If we had expelled him, that would not have been possible.
- Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)
Leo Varadkar: I will touch briefly on the previous question because it is pertinent and deserves an answer. The HSE is an enormous organisation with a €16 billion budget, 110,000 employees and 2 million patients. It is too big and it needs to be slimmed down and broken up and that is what the Government will do now following on from the recommendations of the Sláintecare report. It will slim...
- Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)
Leo Varadkar: I will answer both questions.
- Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)
Leo Varadkar: If I am not interrupted I can answer both questions.
- Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)
Leo Varadkar: CervicalCheck is a subdivision of the National Cancer Screening Service-----
- Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)
Leo Varadkar: -----which is a subdivision of the National Cancer Control Programme which is a subdivision of the health and well-being section-----
- Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)
Leo Varadkar: -----of the HSE. I met the head of the health and well-being section of the HSE every two months.
- Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)
Leo Varadkar: Reset the clock.
- Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)
Leo Varadkar: On behalf of the Government, I want to say we are profoundly shocked at the death toll and scale of injuries that have been inflicted by Israeli forces on Palestinian demonstrators in Gaza. This morning the Tánaiste summoned the Israeli ambassador to Iveagh House to express the Government's and the people's outrage and dismay at these events, including the number of people who have been...
- Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)
Leo Varadkar: My understanding, having spoken to the officials concerned since, is that they did not escalate it because they believed that CervicalCheck and the HSE had the matter in hand. Letters were paused for a reason in the spring but the letters flowed freely through the summer of 2016 and all clinicians-----
- Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)
Leo Varadkar: Not to the women, yes. However, all clinicians - all doctors, rather - received those letters through the course of 2016. Therefore, there was a delay. The delay was at the request of one or two of the laboratories which expressed concerns. The HSE sought legal advice and was advised that it was free to continue with open disclosure. It sent the letters out about all 209 women to all the...
- Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)
Leo Varadkar: This is why the decision we took as a Government and which has been our first priority was care for women and the families concerned. Our second is getting truth and getting to all the facts. Our third is accountability and our fourth is confidence.
- Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)
Leo Varadkar: That is why, on Friday, we announced our package of measures.
- Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)
Leo Varadkar: Not about the audit. I would have to check.
- Leaders' Questions (15 May 2018)
Leo Varadkar: I can answer that if the Deputy wants.