Results 1,721-1,740 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: At the outset, I concur with Deputy Bacik's remarks. I heard Deputy Berry speaking on the radio the other day. He made a very valid point that those of us in politics often complain about the quality of discourse, abuse and social media abuse. Sometimes, however, we are our own worst enemies. We set the standard in the way we behave and none of us are angels in that regard. Given what...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: We all acknowledge the way our retained fire services have changed down the years. There is a retainer payment and then there are call-out payments. Due to improvements in fire safety, the number of call-out payments has reduced and that needs to be reflected in changes to their terms and conditions. We acknowledge that as a Government. As I said earlier, an offer has been made which...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. This is something I will have to discuss with the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, and the Minister of Housing, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy O'Brien. Local authorities are principally accountable to their elected members. I believe in local government and do not like to see central government taking over local government. Sometimes that has had to happen...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----but again, that is central government beginning to take over local government and I am not sure that is the right approach. It is something I have an open mind on and something I will discuss with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien and the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell. Something I think we all agree on is that public money, the people's money, money paid by them in local property...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I firmly agree the people's money needs to be spent well, spent efficiently and spent in their interest. That is why it is important that we have audit and oversight functions that work. However, local government is separate from central government. Local government is now enshrined in our Constitution by means of an amendment passed by the public some years ago. While local authorities...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----and from their own income. For an Oireachtas committee to start to take oversight of income that is local government income and not central government would have to be thought about, and thought about in depth.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I am not going to engage in scaremongering; I am just going to give the basic facts. There a different proposals being negotiated at the moment in respect of the EU nature restoration law. There is a proposal before the European Parliament which is very radical. There is a proposal at the European Council on which the Government is currently negotiating. There is also a proposal made by...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Anything that is done has to be properly remunerated. I would like to see people from rural constituencies like Cork South-West and Wicklow, for example, backing the Government in that regard. I do not see how farmers in Cork South-West, Wicklow or other rural constituencies could possibly believe that the Social Democrats have their backs.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. A lot of politicians talk out of both sides of their mouths, and the champions among them are those who come in here and express concern about the housing crisis and then go back to their constituencies and oppose housing. We will come back to that-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----on another occasion, and I will now answer the question. Climate change is real. It is happening. It is a clear and present danger. It is man made, and we need to act to reverse it. We have to be the generation that turns the tide when it comes to climate change. In respect of data centres, over 100,000 people in Ireland work for technology firms. They might not work in data...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: In January, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, brought an independent report to Cabinet on the retained fire service. We accepted the recommendations of that report. Negotiations were ongoing up until a few weeks ago. A third-party negotiator, Mr. Ultan Courtney, was appointed to chair those talks. An offer was made which would involve: a 20%...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. At the outset, on behalf of the Government, I want to express our shock and horror at the events in Nottingham today. We do not yet know the details because only a certain amount of information is available but it is clear there have been fatalities and a number of injuries. We extend our condolences to those whose loved ones or friends have been killed. We send our...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Bodies (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO), is the only body under the aegis of my Department. NESDO has the following dedicated email address for Oireachtas members: Oireachtas@nesdo.ie.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Covid-19 Pandemic (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: A comprehensive evaluation of how the country managed COVID-19 will provide an opportunity to learn lessons from our experiences in dealing with a pandemic. It will include a review of the whole-of-government response to the pandemic and how we might do better and be in a stronger position if another pandemic or other similar type event were to occur. It will include a consideration of the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Communications (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The information sought by the Deputy in relation to the Department of the Taoiseach and the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO) - which incorporates the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) - is set out in the tables below. Organic videos posted on MerrionStreet.ie social media accounts that include closed captioning/subtitling between 1 May 2022 and...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Policies (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of the Taoiseach, in line with the rest of the Civil Service, is committed to the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination. This includes providing equality of opportunity and treatment of its staff and to persons to whom it provides services. Equality and diversity is enshrined as a core principle in the Department’s Customer Service Charter to ensure the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO) is the only non-commercial public body under the aegis of the Department of the Taoiseach. NESDO is the corporate body for the National Economy and Social Council (NESC) which advises me on strategic policy issues relating to sustainable economic, social, and environmental development in Ireland. In 2022, NESDO spent a sum of...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Data (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Department had one individual seconded from PWC in the period specified. The individual was seconded to the Brexit Team in the Department’s British-Irish and Northern Ireland Affairs Division from 12thOctober 2015 – 29thApril 2019.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Data (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: No contracts have been awarded to the company in question by the Department of the Taoiseach nor has any expenditure been incurred.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Commissions of Investigation (31 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The IBRC Commission of Investigation engaged three independent experts to assist it in its work. They were paid €150 per hour up to a maximum of €750 per diem and details of the amounts paid to each by year to date are set out in the table beneath. - 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Donald Rushton €5,904 ...