Results 15,121-15,140 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: A Cheann Comhairle, I never mentioned the man, for a start.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Second, Deputy Martin has made any number of allegations against people not in this House and will not produce evidence to support them.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Martin has made any number of allegations-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----about people that he will not support with evidence.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Martin does not like his own standards being applied to him.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Martin is happy enough to make allegations about unnamed people and not produce the relevant evidence. It is not right.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 to 12, inclusive, together. Cabinet committee D last met on 1 February 2018. The next meeting of the committee has not yet been scheduled. Cabinet committee D was established to cover the areas of infrastructure investment, climate action and housing. There is significant work under way across each of these areas. Cabinet committee D aims to ensure a...

Ceisteanna - Questions: EU Meetings (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I would always like to spend more time discussing issues of substance.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take questions Nos. 7 and 8 together. A Programme for a Partnership Government, which was published in May 2016, contains a number of commitments on Dáil and Seanad reform. The most recent report setting out the progress made in implementing the commitments in the programme for Government was published on 19 December last. An annual progress report will be published...

Ceisteanna - Questions: EU Meetings (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The way informal summits work is that matters are discussed but no conclusions are reached or decisions made. I am always interested in other parties' views on institutional issues and matters of reform. I encourage parties, if they have not done so yet, to produce a short paper outlining their views on institutional reforms and submit them to the public consultation being led by the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: EU Meetings (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I said that I had not seen them, I did not say they had not been produced. I will make a point of reading them.

Ceisteanna - Questions: EU Meetings (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The Government has adopted a paper on the multi-annual financial framework. It was brought to Cabinet by the Tánaiste and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform about two weeks ago. The paper adopted by the Government was very much in line with views expressed in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. We indicated that we would be willing to increase our contribution to the budget...

Ceisteanna - Questions: EU Meetings (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 6, inclusive, together. I attended an informal meeting of the 27 EU Heads of State and Government in Brussels on 23 February. This was the third such meeting convened by President Tusk under his "Leaders' Agenda" format, with the focus this time on institutional issues and the post-2020 multi-annual financial framework. On institutional issues,...

Order of Business (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I suggest that we agree the Order of Business for today and tomorrow now, and we can then make a decision after the Business Committee meets this evening as to whether we need to sit on Friday.

Order of Business (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I quite agree with Deputy Bríd Smith on this matter. The Supreme Court will deliver its judgment in Limerick tomorrow and the Business Committee will meet at 4.30 p.m. today. As a result of that, we will be requesting that the Dáil meets on Friday. We would like to have a Cabinet meeting on Thursday to approve the wording of the referendum and the policy paper associated with it...

Leaders' Questions (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I cannot give a commitment that I will set up a new authority. It is often the solution in Ireland to set up a new authority but it does not always solve the underlying problem. The people referenced by the Deputy are a serious group of people and we will take their proposals on board. The Minister of State, Deputy D'Arcy, who is taking the lead on behalf of the Government in regard to...

Leaders' Questions (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I am very conscious of the impact of the rising cost of insurance and its enormous cost burden on individuals and in particular on businesses around the country. In recognition of the increased cost of insurance for motorists and businesses in recent years, a cost of insurance working group was established under the chairmanship of the...

Leaders' Questions (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: In regard to the red weather alert warning, which was the question asked, this was an issue that was highlighted in the aftermath of Storm Ophelia. The review of the policy response to Storm Ophelia is approaching conclusion but has not been submitted to Cabinet. It will now be informed by the experience of the past week. As people will appreciate, the individuals involved in the National...

Leaders' Questions (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I understand the Minister for Health did clarify the situation using Twitter. It is a very succinct and quick way to get a message across and I noted that, within a few minutes, there were tweets from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and the Irish Medical Organisation welcoming the Minister for Health's tweet clarifying the matter. Perhaps it is actually a good way to communicate...

Leaders' Questions (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Local accommodations will be found which will, in the majority of cases, work for employers and employees alike. I do not believe the solution is legislation.