Results 16,861-16,880 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Communications (18 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 6, inclusive, together. The strategic communications unit in my Department represents a step change in how we as a Government communicate with our people. It is about informing people of the work of Government in a co-ordinated, focused and cross-governmental way so that it becomes easier for people to understand what the Government is doing and the...

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The insurance (amendment) Bill is prepared and is on the list for publication in this session. Needless to say, I will not be in a position to answer questions on anything involving an ongoing court case or an investigation.

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I was pleased to be associated with and involved in the development of the new National Maternity Strategy, which was published when I was Minister for Health. If I recall correctly, it is a seven year strategy.

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Of course, the nature of a seven year strategy is that it gets implemented incrementally over seven years. I will ask the Minister for Health to provide the Deputy with detail on what is implemented to date and progress on other matters. I would point out though that while we have a high birth rate in Ireland, it is falling, and notwithstanding the fact that we have a falling birth rate,...

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: An tAire Stáit, an Teachta McHugh.

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I am aware of this issue. I have discussed it already with the Minister, Deputy Regina Doherty, who will examine it. I expect that the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection will provide a mechanism by which people can get their social insurance record without only having to get it online. It is incumbent on the Department to come up with a solution.

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I will certainly discuss the matter with the Minister, Deputy Ross. However, if, as the Deputy claims, it is an industrial relations matter, I imagine that would be dealt with in the normal way.

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I have no doubt of the need for a good paediatric occupational therapy service in County Louth and I understand the concerns of parents who may have children who are waiting for those services. The Deputy will, of course, be aware that I am not involved personally in recruiting paediatric occupational therapists in County Louth or any other county and the best way to get a substantive answer...

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy has been pursuing the matter of the Garda station in Newcastle West for quite some time. We are keen to get the work done. I am unable to give the Deputy the timeline but I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, to contact him as a priority and provide any information that he can.

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Bill is currently being drafted and the Department of Health expects to publish it next year.

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I may have to ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Michael Ring, to reply to the Deputy in more detail. I have heard from people around the country that there are delays in administering Leader grants. There has been a meeting at ministerial level with all of the Leader companies about this specific issue and an outcome of that was a decision to streamline the...

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy will be pleased to know that the budget and resources for the Revenue Commissioners were increased again in the budget for 2018. The Finance Bill, which was agreed by Cabinet this morning and will be published tomorrow, will involve further actions to close tax loopholes, crack down on tax evasion and implement our commitments to the OECD on tax transparency. On the specific...

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Post offices are not closed by Government decision. When they close, it is generally because somebody retires, as the Deputy mentioned, and the company is unable to find somebody who wants to take up the role.

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: It is not an issue I know about in great detail but I know that Deputy Noel Rock held a very successful public meeting on the matter in Finglas-----

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: -----and I will ask Deputy Rock to keep Deputy Ellis informed of his work-----

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: -----on the matter.

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Quite favourable tax reliefs are in place in these situations. I do not know the detail of the funds that the Deputy is referring to but I suggest that the best way to get a swift, detailed answer would be by means of a parliamentary question to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: This is an important issue but it is principally an issue for local authorities, or councils. As I indicated yesterday, I will ask the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, to take it up with county and city chief executives as part of his regular engagement with them to see what can be done to remove potentially dangerous trees.

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I have spoken to the Deputy about this before. I think it would be something that would be nice to do. It would be nice to extend child benefit to people who are 18 years of age and still in education. However, when it comes to the social protection budget, we have to prioritise. Obviously, providing another year or two years of child benefit to people who are 18 or 19 years of age would...

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I would have to ask the line Minister to come back to the Deputy on that. There is nothing promised in legislation or the programme for Government.