Results 16,201-16,220 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Programme for Government Priorities (6 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: In July the Government established Cabinet Committee F. This represents a significant reform in the structures for policy and decision making in the areas of security and defence. The Committee will keep national security arrangements under review. The Committee met again in November 2017 with a further meeting to be scheduled early in the New year.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committees (6 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As I informed the House on 30 November 2017, I have decided to establish a new Cabinet Committee, Cabinet Committee G, to deal with justice and equality issues. Up until this, Cabinet Committee B, which deals with Social Policy and Public Services, had responsibility for equality issues.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (6 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I am advised that the information requested is not readily available, due to the significant volume of information sought and having regard to the long time period in question. The information requested by the Deputy is being compiled by my officials and will be sent to the Deputy when it is finalised.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Deputies will be pleased to hear that this morning the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Deputy Regina Doherty, received approval from Cabinet to publish the employment (miscellaneous provisions) Bill. The Bill will be published in the next few days. It delivers on the programme for Government commitment to tackle some of the problems caused by casualisation of work and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Economic and Social Council (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I will ensure it is called something else. Windscale and Sellafield were different names for the same plant, albeit with many more safeguards. The Minister will also publicise other actions, particularly regarding price supports for solar power and other forms of renewable energy. On the National Economic and Social Development Office Bill, work is under way to prepare heads of the Bill...

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Economic and Social Council (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Home Building Finance Ireland, HBFI, has not yet started but when it starts it will certainly not be a subsidy as Deputy Boyd Barrett described it. It is a loan and developers who receive development finance from HBFI will have to repay their loans with interest. Rather than being a subsidy, it will generate a return for taxpayers through cash repayments on the loans and a social return in...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 11 together. Cabinet committee A held its first meeting on 12 September. The Cabinet committee's focus will be on economic issues, including the implementation of the Action Plan for Jobs 2017 and preparation of a new, more focused action plan for next year; labour market policies, including the implementation of pathways to work and responding to...

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Economic and Social Council (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 6 together. The National Economic and Social Council has played an important role over many decades in developing shared understanding between Government and other stakeholders on economic and social policy and, more recently, on sustainable development. Over the coming years, Ireland faces into a period of significant change at home and abroad that...

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Economic and Social Council (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I will start towards the end of the questions on climate change and the NESC. One of the three themes that the council will pursue in its workplan through 2018 is climate change, especially the governance of low-carbon transition. I was asked about the actions the Government is taking. I agree we need to do far more than we are doing at present. The capital plan will contain many actions...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: On housing and homelessness which are not the same problem, although they are very much interlinked, we do have a plan and it is working, but it will take time and there will be setbacks. It is very similar to the unemployment crisis we faced five or six years ago, or the mortgage arrears crisis that we faced in recent years. If one puts in place the right policies, sticks by them and...

Order of Business (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I have had time to reflect on it. I heard the arguments the Deputy made and saw the letter she sent to me. The Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, and I have reflected on and discussed this and we agree that the Deputy is correct. Therefore, we are going to commission an independent senior counsel to carry out the review into why the emails were not sent to the tribunal....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together. Following the streamlining of the Cabinet committee structures earlier this year, Cabinet committee D was established to cover the areas of housing, climate action, infrastructure investment and delivery, including transport, the national planning framework and the ten-year capital plan. The committee last met on 23 November...

Order of Business (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I cannot confirm at this stage whether it is covered by the Estimates but the Minister for Finance, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, and the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, are working through the issue. As is often the case, things are perhaps not as straightforward as they may appear. They discovered that some section 39 organisations reduced pay in line with the FEMPI legislation but...

Order of Business (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy will be pleased to know that we are making good progress in this area. We agreed at Cabinet this morning to publish the heads of the Bill on deprivation of liberty. This was one of the next big steps to be taken to allow us to ratify the convention. Cabinet did not get all of its business done this morning so we will reconvene this afternoon. I anticipate that, as a...

Order of Business (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The matter is not yet settled but the Minister of State will be able to make a statement on the matter in the coming days.

Order of Business (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I do not have any plans to change legislation in that regard but I share the Deputy's view. I dislike the practice of developers on a large scale buying out their commitment to providing social and affordable housing. I can understand why it might be done in an apartment building of five units or so but in general it is not a good practice.

Order of Business (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: It might be a €1 million apartment. It would be better to get three houses than one €1 million apartment. Would it not?

Order of Business (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is in Brussels attending an EU Council meeting but I will ensure that the message is passed on to him.

Order of Business (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: In the interests of debate this is an important topic to discuss and I recommend that the Business Committee reconvene and agree adequate time for a debate. I am sure that can be agreed.

Order of Business (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: It is not the norm that these things would go to a specific committee. I believe there should be adequate time to debate it in the Chamber.