Results 16,421-16,440 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (21 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: There is always the 1% or the 3% or whatever it is these days. There are always a few contrarian voices and they are always welcome. They add to the quality of debate.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (21 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: We also always emphasise tax sovereignty. It is our view that nation states should set their own taxes, that national parliaments should set their taxes and budgets. I also make it very clear that Ireland is not a tax haven, does not want to be a tax haven and does not want to be seen as a tax haven. That is why we will close loopholes that are being exploited by certain companies and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (21 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I have met with Apple twice as has the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe. There have been meetings at official level. We have indicated to it that we want the escrow account established and funds to be paid into that account without further delay. We do not want to be in a situation where the Irish Government has to take Apple to court because the European Commission is taking the Irish...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (21 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Not as yet.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (21 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The account has not been established yet. Nothing has been paid into an account that has not been established yet. It has made provision for it in its 2018 accounts and 2018 is only a few weeks away and I would be confident enough that it will be in its 2018 projections.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (21 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: In response to Deputy Eamon Ryan's question, while I am sure he will not believe it, none of the companies raised renewable energy, with the exception of Facebook. It is the only one that wanted to speak about being zero carbon.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (21 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: When we discussed Athenry with Apple renewable energy was not an issue it raised. It raised concerns about planning and legal delays, eirgrid connections, and who would build the substations on its site in Athenry. It did not raise concerns about renewable energy as something that was delaying that project in any way. I appreciate that does not fit the Deputy's narrative but that is the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (21 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I will tell the Deputies why it is true. It is because of the mechanism by which those 84 real social homes are being provided. That is a partnership between the Government and the Iveagh Trust, using a long-term lease agreement. It is not a direct build by a local authority.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (21 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: It will provide 84 real social homes for people.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (21 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I have seen so many times the opponents of what the Government is trying to do with social housing only counting direct build.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (21 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: They discount everything else that is done. That is not honest.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (21 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Only two weeks ago I opened a site at Hansfield in my constituency, where there are 1,000 new homes being built, approximately 100 of which are social housing. They are being acquired by direct purchase by the council from the developer.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (21 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Again, we see figures produced of Fingal only having ten or 40 houses, and it does not include such houses. It is a good idea to have integrated communities.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (21 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 15, inclusive, together. I had a three day visit to Seattle, Silicon Valley and San Francisco from Wednesday, 1 November, to Friday, 3 November. The primary focus of the visit was growing trade, investment and tourism opportunities between Ireland and the US and highlighting Ireland’s priorities in the context of Brexit and other international...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (21 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I will do my best. On the first set of questions on the arts from Deputy Burton, she is absolutely correct to mention my commitment to increasing arts funding. I did not say this would happen over a period of time. I was very specific and said we would double funding for the arts over a period of seven years. That, of course, refers to the arts in total and not just to the Arts Council....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (21 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The other one is-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (21 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I will raise the issue with the Minister, Deputy Humphreys. On Deputy Pearse Doherty's question, we all have a role to play in making sure the Good Friday Agreement works. I am disappointed when I hear Sinn Féin spokespersons, as has been the case for weeks, setting the scene for the blame game. That is very disappointing and I call on Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party,...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (21 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together. The programme for Government annual report published on 10 May provides a comprehensive update on more than 300 commitments progressed across all of Government in its first year and highlights the specific plans put in place to tackle in the short and longer terms areas such as housing, homelessness, education, rural and...

Order of Business (21 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The work on that is almost complete. It has been complicated by the fact that public servants hired at different times have different contracts. Generally speaking, people hired before 2004 must retire at 65, those hired between 2004 and 2012 have no retirement age and those hired after 2012 have a retirement age of 70. The fact that there are three different contract groups has...

Order of Business (21 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I appreciate that this is a very sensitive issue for the people affected and for their families. I am very sorry to hear about a person having passed away with this illness. As a doctor and a former Minister for Health, I know why it is important that politicians do not decide which drugs are licensed or reimbursed or how much is paid for them. That is best decided using clinical evidence...