Results 14,861-14,880 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (29 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: That is correct.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (29 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The estimate we have is less than that. We think it is going to cost somewhere between €20 million and €25 million. That is for the first module dealing with Siteserv. This is based on the current rate of expenditure, the extended timeframe for its work, the risk of further delays and the risk of significant third party legal costs that may arise. I do not think it will be a...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (29 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Yes.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (29 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: We discussed this before we came in. I am not sure whether or not it can be done but what we are saying to the Deputy is that €2.5 million will not be spent. I am not sure the committee can do it today but if it can take €2.5 million from that global figure, that is what we are proposing.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (29 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: If it is noted, what we can do in the Dáil is present it as a Revised Estimate with a figure that is lower.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (29 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It was an allocation from within the Department of the Taoiseach's budget so our budget actually went down compared to what it was in 2017. Our budget in 2018 was lower so it was from within the existing envelope of the Department which will be lower again so we are probably one of the few Departments in Government that is still reducing its budget every year.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (29 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Yes, in the overall Vote.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (29 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Correct. That is what I meant when I said it was cost neutral. We said we would find the money in the Vote and have done so. There was no increase in spending by my Department. In fact, it went down and will go down again.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (29 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The figure of €2.2 million has been spent or committed, as in contracted. For example, there were to be radio advertisements and partnerships for Project Ireland 2040. We have decided not to proceed with them, but because the slots have been contracted and committed to, we will use them for something else, most likely something such as Healthy Ireland, a campaign that is not as...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (29 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I do not know the answer to that question, but if one looks at the figure of €5 million as being for the full year, spending €2.5 million by the end of July would not be unusual. One would spend half of the budget in the first half of the year and the other half in the second half of the year.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (29 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Some €1.33 million has been spent and another €900,000 has been committed, largely for Project Ireland 2040 and Global Ireland.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (29 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: A figure of €2.2 million has been spent or committed. Had the SCU continued, another €2.5 million would have been committed. However, that will not happen.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (29 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: That is a good question. There are many lessons. One particular lesson that might be learned is that in politics and when it comes to the reform of Departments, the Civil Service and public service, any time one tries to do anything new or different, inevitably there will be controversy. I am not sure if the Deputy recalls that merriornstreet.iewas established in 2010. The Government of...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (29 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: No; I think it is one lesson. A second lesson - an unfortunate one - is that the Civil Service and the public service can come under attack unfairly, as I have mentioned. One of the difficulties in the Civil Service and the public service is that it does tend to be risk averse because that is always the safe option. It is not particular to the Department of the Taoiseach; it is true across...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (29 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I do not think there was anything that could have been done to avoid controversy. I think controversy was inevitable. It started from the day I announced I was setting up the strategic communications unit. There was controversy even before it was established. It did not happen until many months after the announcement as I was answering questions about it in the Dáil. By the way, I...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (29 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I would have to look at that email again. There has been some conflation on this. Mediaforce was also used in the Creative Ireland campaign, which predates the strategic communications unit.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (29 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The email to which I think the Deputy refers states:A couple of points on the above that I wanted to reiterate. In terms of strapline - attached is an idea of how this should look. It should read "Brought to you in partnership with Project Ireland 2040". The email was absolutely clear and reiterated that it should read "Brought to you in partnership with Project Ireland 2040". It went on...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (29 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: What it says, and it was the direction from the strategic communications unit and complied with in 100% of the cases, is that everything had to be clearly marked "Brought to you in partnership with Project Ireland 2040", that it was a Government initiative and often had the Government logo. I do not think that any reasonable person looking at those advertorials would not have seen that it...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (29 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: If one looks back at the advertorials that were done for the national development plan in 2007, none said they were from the Government. The term "Government of Ireland" was never used; they used phrases such as "commercial feature", "public information" or "special feature". It was for the reader to figure out this was coming from the Government. I think what was done in this case was, if...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (29 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Maybe not, but there were a number of allegations, one of which was that this was the biggest public relations campaign ever run by the Government. It was not. It was not even the biggest run this year by the Government. The allegation was that this was somehow unprecedented, which I dispute. An allegation which was made and which has now been completely refuted by four local newspaper...