Results 14,601-14,620 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Leaders' Questions (2 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Once again, I want to say how deeply concerned and upset I and the whole Government are at the situation with which we are now grappling. We still do not know all the facts, and last night, as Members will be aware, new information was given to the Minister only a short time before he came into this House to make a statement and answer questions. He was put in the unenviable position of...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Project Ireland 2040 Administration (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid that I do not have any information on the sale of Ardmore Studios. The Deputy may wish to raise the matter with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Paschal Donohoe.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Project Ireland 2040 Administration (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It is not the policy of the State to own film studios.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Project Ireland 2040 Administration (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: We see the role of the State as providing public services and infrastructure. To respond to the questions asked initially by Deputy Joan Burton, it is intended to place the national planning framework on a statutory footing, but I do not have a date in that regard. I understand primary legislation has to be passed first. I am not sure if it has yet been passed. However, the sequence...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Project Ireland 2040 Administration (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I try to get out of Dublin as soon as I can and around the country as much as I can. We will be following up this week on Project Ireland 2040 with an announcement of important flood relief works throughout the country. We hope to be able to start opening some of the funds this month - the urban regeneration fund and the rural regeneration fund - that are included in the national planning...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Project Ireland 2040 Administration (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----to north of Swords, serving Swords, Santry, Ballymun, DCU and the north inner city and all the way through to the southside.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Project Ireland 2040 Administration (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It is a really good project and I look forward to seeing the completion of construction by 2027. On the specific issues raised by the Deputies, it affects Na Fianna, Scoil Chaitríona and Home Farm and I am very concerned. I share the concerns of leaders and other Deputies, not least the Minister for Finance, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, about the emerging preferred route which would do...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the leaders of the various parties for attending the all-island civic dialogue and staying to hear the contributions of other leaders. Many leaders stayed well into the day to speak to some of the young people who were in attendance. I thank leaders for that. This valuable dialogue has taken place on a number of occasions. It is not just about politicians talking to politicians -...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The deadline for finalising the withdrawal agreement has always been October. I am not sure if that has been understood by everyone.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The deadline for finalising the withdrawal agreement has always been October. We expect to see substantial and real progress on the text in June. If that does not happen, we will have to question at that point whether it is going to be possible to come to an agreement at all. We have been very clear on that, as has the EU. On Deputy Boyd Barrett's question, the Government is of course...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Project Ireland 2040 Administration (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 10, inclusive, together. Cabinet Committee D last met on 1 February 2018. The next meeting of the committee has been scheduled for 8 May next. The overall objective of Cabinet Committee D on infrastructure is to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the development and implementation of policy regarding housing, infrastructure investment and delivery,...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 to 6 together. The international, EU and Northern Ireland division of my Department covers work on all international, EU, British-Irish and Northern Ireland affairs within the Department, including Brexit issues. The division supports me in my international role including as a member of the European Council and in my other EU and international...

Ceisteanna - Questions: General Data Protection Regulation (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Micheál Martin mentioned the unique role of Oireachtas Members in serving their constituents. I echo what he said. I know that it is a concern, certainly among members of my parliamentary party and the Cabinet, that we should not bring forward data protection laws that would restrict Deputies and Senators in doing the work they have been doing for years and decades in serving...

Order of Business (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I am happy to report to Deputy McConalogue that USC has been reduced in the past two budgets and good progress is being made in that regard. Prior to that, in coalition with the Labour Party, Fine Gael took hundreds of thousands of people out of the USC net. We are making good progress in relieving people of the tax that Fianna Fáil imposed upon them during the crisis. As I indicated...

Order of Business (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There is no specific commitment on that matter in the programme for Government but Deputy Eugene Murphy is correct that we have far too few consultant rheumatologists, of whom there are only two in the entire country, for a country of our size and young population. The HSE is working on a proposal to increase the number of consultant rheumatologist posts and for that to be backed up by...

Ceisteanna - Questions: General Data Protection Regulation (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together. I am satisfied that the data protection measures in place in my Department are robust. There are secure policies and procedures in place for paper files and electronic data. All information and communication technology, ICT, systems operated within my Department are securely managed. Access to the systems is controlled...

Order of Business (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There is no legislation promised.

Order of Business (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There is no legislation promised but I am happy to be associated with the Deputy's remarks.

Order of Business (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: On the programme for Government commitment, I am not sure if the Minister has announced this yet but that pilot has started or is about to start, using ten post offices around the country to provide enhanced services. With regard to the offer to the postmasters, that is a voluntary retirement scheme, allowing them to retire if they so wish. It is intended that where somebody retires as...

Order of Business (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There is no specific commitment in that regard. Chronic Lyme disease is a controversial diagnosis but I will ask the Minister for Health to provide a more detailed reply to the Deputy.