Results 15,501-15,520 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Programme for Government Review (14 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: As I said, it is undoubtedly the case that the United Kingdom leaving the European Union involves divergence. It would not be leaving the European Union otherwise. We want to focus on ensuring we have as much convergence as possible, or maintaining alignment on economic issues and issues relating to trade.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Programme for Government Review (14 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 7 together. The Government published its latest progress report on A Programme for a Partnership Government on 19 December. The report sets out the most recent progress made across all of government in implementing the commitments in the programme and includes measures that were announced in budget 2018 as well. Some of the main areas of progress...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): National Development Plan (14 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The batch of questions we are discussing relate to the role of my Department in the new national development plan. While my Department has a role in it, we did not write the plan or anything like it.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): National Development Plan (14 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Members have asked quite a number of detailed questions about process and procedure which would best be addressed to line Ministers such as the Minister for Finance, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, and the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy. There were many detailed questions on transport which would best be addressed to the Minister for Transport, Tourism and...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): National Development Plan (14 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I will answer questions on the extent to which my Department has a role in the forthcoming national development plan, but I will not be able to answer questions on behalf of three other Ministers in detail. It is not correct to say the plan has been long delayed. When I contested the leadership of my party in June, I committed to the publication by the end of 2016 of a ten-year...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): National Development Plan (14 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: In the greater scheme of things I do not think it is very late. The nature of a ten-year plan is that it includes all sorts of project in the pipeline for construction. Infrastructure takes time to provide. It has to be planned, designed, go through the planning process and be built. It then has to be opened. Perhaps, therefore, the ten-year plan will include anything that will incur...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): National Development Plan (14 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----we now have three under construction. Of course, they will be included because the cost will arise in the period of the plan.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): National Development Plan (14 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It will also include others that have yet to go through the planning process and still others that will start in the course of the plan. The nature of a ten-year plan is that it will include projects at all points in the pipeline of construction and development. I reassure Deputy Micheál Martin that I have not taken charge of any marketing or PR exercise, with which I know that he...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): National Development Plan (14 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There will be a very good-----

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): National Development Plan (14 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There will be a very good health package involving a multibillion euro investment that is much needed in ICT, which is the game changer for the health service in new hospitals. The hospitals in Tullamore and Tallaght were probably the last to be built in this country, probably more than ten years ago, possibly even in the last century; therefore, it is great that we are now building...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): National Development Plan (14 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There will also be investment in primary care centres and to implement the maternity strategy and the trauma strategy. It is a very good package. While we have high levels of spending on health services in Ireland, historically we have underspent in capital investment. A lot of our buildings, equipment and information technology is out of date. We can really change the health service by...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): National Development Plan (14 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I refer to the decisions we had to make to pare back budgets and we know why those decisions were made.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): National Development Plan (14 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It was because a different party and Government had driven the country over the cliff and bankrupted the State. As a result, major reductions had to be made in capital spending.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): National Development Plan (14 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: We now have an opportunity to put that right and re-initiate some of the projects. I was interested to hear Deputy Eamon Ryan tell us what should have been done ten years ago. I wonder who was in government ten years ago.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): National Development Plan (14 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: All of those things could have been done. Deputy Eamon Ryan also indicated that I had said people were jealous. I did not say anyone was jealous. He also misquoted Mr. Edgar Morgenroth. It may be that he is once again hearing things and forgetting the fact that he was a member of the Government ten years ago. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked about legislation. The legislation to which he...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): National Development Plan (14 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government tells me that the new national planning framework, NPF, can be placed on a statutory footing and that a motion on it was sent to the Oireachtas joint committee where it was not opposed and no vote was called on it. The committee made a submission which is being considered by the Minister. Much of it has been taken on board and...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): National Development Plan (14 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: On rail services, I am not in a position to make announcements today. Decisions will be made on Friday and then announced. Speaking as a former transport Minister and somebody who is interested in the issue, especially railways, heavy railways, in particular, are very expensive to build and once they are built, if they do not carry significant passenger numbers, they are very expensive to...

Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I made some inquiries about this issue. As the Deputy has acknowledged 170 additional beds have been opened across our hospitals so far this with, with plans for more to be opened during the course of this year. The HSE, in appraising where new beds will be opened or not be opened, examines need, cost and the ability to staff them. I will not be taking it into my hands to determine exactly...

Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There is very definitely increased traffic on our roads. This is related to more people now working, which is a positive but it has negative consequences, including very significant increases in traffic and journey times. I cannot tell the Deputy what the interim steps are that are particularly relevant to his constituency. The Deputy will be aware that Luas services have been increased...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): National Development Plan (14 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together. The national development plan will be published on Friday alongside the new national planning framework. The national development plan will set out the Government's intentions for investment in public infrastructure out to 2027, grounded in the strategic investment priorities identified by each Minister and in line with the...