Results 15,801-15,820 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Leaders' Questions (31 Jan 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It is important to put on the record that there are more than 2,000 section 39 organisations throughout the State. They provide important disability services. They include many, but not all, of our hospices and provide vital services for our elderly people. A differential in pay has now opened up between staff working for HSE bodies and staff working for these section 39 bodies. That is...

Leaders' Questions (31 Jan 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It is certainly not fair to the workers in these organisations who have been caught in the middle between their employers, the section 39 organisations-----

Leaders' Questions (31 Jan 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----the HSE and the Government. I can only give the facts. The Deputy is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.

Leaders' Questions (31 Jan 2018)

Leo Varadkar: As I said earlier, the Government has proposed a process by which we can resolve this issue. I am pleased to confirm that just last night, one of the two unions concerned, Fórsa, has accepted the Government's offer and proposal. I welcome that Fórsa, as a trade union, has accepted our proposal and process to resolve this. I hope SIPTU will follow suit.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Priorities (31 Jan 2018)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has just published its revised Statement of Strategy reflecting the priorities for the period ahead as well as the changes that have taken place following my appointment as Taoiseach. This includes the establishment of a new configuration of Cabinet Committees which encompasses the Government’s national priorities for the coming years. The Strategy Statement is aligned...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Taoiseach's Communications (31 Jan 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 31, 33, 39 and 40 together. I was honoured to be the first EU leader to be invited to take part in the European Parliament debate series on the Future of Europe. My speech to the European Parliament took place in Strasbourg on 17 January. In my intervention, I spoke about the achievements of the European Union, the benefits for Ireland of EU membership, and my...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Urban Renewal Schemes (31 Jan 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The Programme Implementation Board chaired by Michael Stone is overseeing implementation of actions recommended in the Mulvey Report. The short terms measures announced in 2016 have been delivered which amounted to almost €5 million invested in real facilities and services in the area. This included €1 million investment in sports facilities and projects; €700,000...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Ministerial Advisers Data (31 Jan 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There are seven Special Advisers employed in my office. They are detailed in the following table: Name Role Salary Level Previous Employment Brian Murphy Chief of Staff Deputy Secretary Special Adviser [Minister for Social Protection] John Carroll Head of Policy and Programme Implementation Assistant Secretary Chief Executive Officer, Public Relations Institute of Ireland Patrick...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (30 Jan 2018)

Leo Varadkar: We have not yet set a date for the publication of the capital plan and no decision has been made on the public private partnerships, PPP, rule.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (30 Jan 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I do not have an update on Carillion, except to note that the National Development Finance Agency and the Department of Education and Skills are working to resolve the matter as quickly as possible. I heard a radio report this morning on children and teachers who are very keen to get into their new school and we are keen to make that happen as soon as possible. On Home Building Finance...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (30 Jan 2018)

Leo Varadkar: This vehicle will not cost us anything. We will make a profit out of it because the developers will have to repay the full loans with interest, which is much different from grants. In the meantime, the developers will use the money to build houses and homes and increase the supply of all forms of housing at all different price levels, which is what we should be doing. LIHAF, the local...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (30 Jan 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It took me 75 minutes to travel into the city. It was not as bad last week.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (30 Jan 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I am not sure the problem has been caused by the Luas. As Deputy Burton stated, additional Luas carriages will come on stream in March. Much of the reason for the increase in traffic is that the economy has bounced back. It is recovering and expanding and there are more and more people working, which will require much more investment in public transport, particularly in the city of Dublin....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (30 Jan 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I thought I was finished.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (30 Jan 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 to 21, inclusive, together. I travelled to Budapest on 4 January for a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and onwards to Sofia on 5 January to meet Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. I was accompanied on both visits by the Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs, Deputy Helen McEntee. The meeting with Prime Minister...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (30 Jan 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy O'Reilly asked about Cabinet committee D. We did not discuss any proposed gagging clause for service providers. That matter did not go before the committee. Certainly, it is not something I would agree with. At the same time, though, I expect public money to be spent on services and not on other things. The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, in line with...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (30 Jan 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It is appropriate, in line with Government rules, to carry out an audit of how the money was spent to ensure the money is spent on providing services for people and not duplicating other activities. I have not had a chance to read the Oireachtas committee report yet but the Government will examine the report and provide a reasoned response. All of us, through our constituency work, will...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (30 Jan 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I wish to restate what a privilege it was to visit our troops in Lebanon. Next year will be the 40th anniversary of Irish participation in Lebanon, with a small gap. A total of 32,000 Irish people have served in Lebanon, which is a huge number. Almost everyone knows somebody who has served in "the Leb" at some stage. What they have managed to do in south Lebanon is to allow people living...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (30 Jan 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 11, inclusive, together. Cabinet committee D has met twice, on 12 September 2017 and 23 November 2017. It is scheduled to meet again on 1 February 2018. As I previously indicated, Cabinet committee D was established to cover the areas of housing, climate action, infrastructure investment and delivery, the national planning framework and the ten-year...

Order of Business (30 Jan 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I will ask the Minister for Health to provide the Deputy with a detailed note on the matter. On the face of it, we should bear in mind what an X-ray is. It exposes patients and others to radiation, which nobody does without good reason. X-rays should only be ordered by doctors and specialist nurses qualified to do so. Chiropractors are practitioners of a form of alternative medicine and I...