Results 14,901-14,920 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: I would have to look at that again as I do not remember in my own mind when I started using "republic of opportunity" as a term. I am not sure if it was during the Fine Gael leadership campaign. It may have been subsequently. I may have been using it before it was integrated as a Fine Gael slogan for a period. A lot of ideas are bounced around as part of the deliberative process. The...

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 million things are considered on any given day.

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: Brexit creates, in some ways, an impetus for us to increase our presence around the world to become less reliant on UK markets. Even if there were no Brexit, we should be doing it anyway as there is a big world out there, which is much larger than Britain and Europe. We are working across Departments on joined-up policy-making to develop what we are calling "Global Ireland 2025". I have...

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: None of the staff is on contract. They are all public and civil servants.

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: He was seconded from Fáilte Ireland. I do not want to talk about any individual.

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: He is not on an contract.

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: He is a public servant.

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 we look at the baseline research, it was about a number of issues, including streamlining communications. Work will continue to streamline communications across government. It was never about centralising everything in the Department because the figure of €178 million includes bodies such as An Post which is a State-owned enterprise. It should be doing its stuff totally...

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 would have been run from the strategic communications unit would have been national campaigns. I gave the classic example of the self-employed when in ordinary circumstances we might have had three Departments running three campaigns that would have affected the self-employed in three ways. Would it not make much more sense, from the point of view of the customer, the person, not the...

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, I think there is. I think I am correct in saying that since the Dáil was elected approximately five Private Members' Bills have become law, ranging from Deputy Tony McLoughlin's Bill which bans fracking and the legislation which recognises Irish Sign Language to legislation which deals with more mundane matters. It will now be legal as a result of a Private Members' Bill to buy 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: No, it should not be. It would not be much better if it were ten or 15 a year, rather than five over two years. Let us be honest - we do have a problem. When the Government brings forward legislation, it goes through a particular process. There is permission by the Government to draft a general scheme. The heads of the legislation are brought to the Government and published. Very often...

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 Oireachtas commissioned Mr. Aidan Dunning, the former Secretary General at the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, to produce a report on this issue. He made suggestions which he made independently as to how we could improve the system by raising the bar for Bills to get to the money message stage, but his proposals were rejected.

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: They did not receive the support of the Business Committee, which is regrettable. They were good proposals. It was not the Chairman, but a number of Opposition parties, on the one hand, complained that they could not get their Bills through, yet, on the other, would not support these proposals.

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 had not finished my answer.

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 had not finished my answer.

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 have not given up on this. The Ceann Comhairle's office has been in consultation with my office-----

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: -----regarding a solution that would-----

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: Does Mr. Fraser want to answer that?

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: Would Mr. Fraser like to have a say? He is closer to this than me.

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: Is it fair or right to expect me to adjudicate on the quality of Bills? There should be a system that would ensure the Bills would not get through.