Results 141-160 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Tógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimh. 1 go 8, go huile, le chéile. Déanann an coiste comh-aireachta um ghnóthaí sóisialta agus seirbhísí poiblí maoirsiú ar chur i bhfeidhm ghealltanais chlár an Rialtais i réimsí an bheartais shóisialaí agus seirbhísí poiblí. Clúdaíonn an coiste raon ábhar...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Regarding the issues Deputy Paul Murphy raised around animal welfare and conditions in pig farms, I would certainly encourage anyone who has evidence of animals being mistreated to pass the evidence on to the relevant authorities and that they should of course investigate them. On Deputy Verona Murphy's question, I absolutely acknowledge we have a real problem and a real deficiency in...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy Ellis for raising this important issue. I know the school, although I do not know the particular school project. I will have to inquire with the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, and ask her to come back to the Deputy with some more detail. We have a very significant budget for school buildings this year, but many projects are falling behind. We need to make sure that we...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: This is something on which we are working. As the Deputy knows, I represent Dublin West, which is a rapidly growing area, as is the Deputy’s constituency now as well. There has been a big increase in population, and we have a huge school building programme across the country at the moment at primary and second level. There is a pipeline, and sometimes it moves very well and...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I have been to Mallow many times. I agree that it needs its relief road. An allocation has been made for this year to progress the project. TII has the capacity, if it makes savings and underspends in other areas, to transfer funds to that project too. However, €300,000 will be adequate to progress the project. That is the important thing for the town.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The HSE has advised that the results of the review and the details of the individual cases were discussed and shared with the families involved in November and December 2023. That would cover the issue of open disclosure. I am advised the decision to publish the report widely rests with the Saolta University Health Care Group, but I see no reason why it could not published -in anonymised...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I will look into that. There is always a process to be followed with referendums. I have been involved in many of them, including those relating to marriage equality and repealing the eighth amendment to the Constitution. The Government would always take on board what a citizens' assembly or convention has to say. It would also look at what an all-party committee would have to say. We...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: There is a Government decision, and there is also a planning issue. People who are beneficiaries of temporary protection, those who have come here from Ukraine, have a different legal status from those who are seeking international protection. There are properties that are being refurbished and that are designated for Ukrainians that cannot currently be used by people who are seeking...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I set out in detail the things we are doing in response to a previous question. That question may have been from the Deputy or from someone else. We continue to pursue this issue in the context of the EU-Israel association agreement. We will do so again at the European Council meeting later this month. The Tánaiste in particular is working on the issue of sanctions relating to...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: On the optional protocol on disability, the previous Government, which I the privilege to lead as Taoiseach, signed the UN convention. The current Government made a commitment to ratify the optional protocol. We will do so. Earlier today, the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, received approval from the Cabinet to establish the interdepartmental working group to make that possible. That has been...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy McGrath has many years on me and much more experience but, really, with experience should come wisdom. What we heard today is just the latest conspiracy theory. I am not sure who he has involved in it this time. He left out the World Economic Forum on this occasion but I think he had the Irish Independent and the Referendum Commission, which does not even exist any more.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I will leave it at that. On the RTÉ issues, the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, answered questions for three and a half hours before the committee last week and made statements here in the Chamber. In regard to the statement of the former chairperson, the Minister has written to the committee about this, provided some phone call and meeting notes, which it requested, and also has...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. In our engagement with An Garda Síochána, it advised us that the State's amended bail laws have proven to be effective. While there is no immediate proposal to amend the State's bail laws further, we will keep them under review. Certainly, if the Garda advises and asks us to make further reforms to our bail laws, we will give that detailed consideration....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy seems to be a little bit obsessed with the bowl of shamrock, which takes about 20 seconds. The real opportunity is in the sit-down meeting in the Oval Office with President Biden and his team. There is also the opportunity to speak publicly in the White House before guests of the President, as well as some from the Irish embassy. That is the opportunity I will take to reaffirm...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: -----in Israeli prisons and evidence-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: -----of sexual violence against Israeli women on 7 October at the hands of Hamas, to condemn without equivocation the events of 7 October.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for again raising this important issue in the House. Above all, I want people to be safe and feel safe in their homes and on our streets. We are responding with more gardaí, better equipment for our gardaí and stronger laws, more judges and more places in our prisons. The Garda budget has never been higher, at €2.3 billion a year. That is up 25% in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I take this opportunity to reiterate the Government's call for an immediate ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. This will allow the hostages to be released, the killing to stop and much-needed food and medicine to get in to the Gaza Strip, where civilians are in a very desperate and unimaginable situation. We believe that a humanitarian ceasefire for...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The context in which we are dealing with the housing crisis is one of a rapidly-rising population and changing demographics. Households are smaller and, as a result, we require more houses and apartments. We are running up an escalator that is coming down at us quite fast, but we are making progress. More than 30,000 new homes were built last year, the highest number since 2008. We will...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as a ceist. Housing for All is working. We are building more homes than at any point since 2008 and we are building more social housing than at any point since the 1970s. Tá Tithíocht do Chách ag obair. Tá níos mó tithe á dtógáil againn ná ag aon phointe ó 2008. Tá níos mó tithe...