Results 17,561-17,580 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I hope it will not be a sense of closure but rather of security. I do not have any new information, but I will ask the Minister, Deputy Denis Naughten, to contact the Deputy.

Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I will certainly speak to the Minister for Health about that. As the Deputies will be aware, the Minister is currently launching the new cancer strategy. It is still supposed to be the case. Somebody who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and is dying is still supposed to receive a medical card automatically. I was not aware of any change in or any problems with regard to that. I...

Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The heads of that Bill were approved a few months ago by Cabinet. The Bill is currently being drafted in consultation with the Attorney General's office. I expect publication in the next session. I have had revaluations happen in my constituency. It is a traumatic experience for those in business to have their business revalued and their rates increase dramatically, although it is...

Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: There are winners and losers, but overall it is supposed to balance out. The fact that it happens so infrequently is a real problem and a lesson in terms of policy.

Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Legislation will be required and it will be in the autumn.

Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I will have to check that out. It is not to say it is not in the system, but I have not seen the request come across my desk yet for a money message on that Bill. It is important, once again, to state that there is no mandatory retirement age in Ireland. People are free to work well into their 60s, 70s and 80s, if they so wish, and many do.

Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: However, sometimes employment contracts require workers to retire from a particular job and, obviously, changing somebody's employment contract can be difficult to do in law.

Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid I will have to come back to the Deputy on that. I do not have the answer to hand but I will certainly come back to the Deputy once I have the answer.

Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: -----but does not include employers or independent economists in the group making that assessment.

Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: It is questions on promised legislation, not questions and answers. I am sure questions can be asked in the normal way.

Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I do not have a date for the announcement, but I will ask the Minister, Deputy Michael Ring, to confirm that as soon as possible.

Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: This is legislation that I support strongly. I published it myself as Minister for Health and introduced it into the Seanad just over a year ago. I met with the Minister, Deputy Simon Harris, about it and other matters just last week. The Government is very keen to have this legislation enacted. It is not going to be possible to have it done before the recess, but it is intended to have...

Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: There is no legislation promised in this area, but on the issue of rural broadband and the need to phase that in as soon as possible, there has been some recent commentary on the plan. I want to clarify that, contrary to reports, the procurement process has not been paused, and it is continuing in parallel with the commercial deployment of high-speed broadband by commercial operators. Some...

Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: There is no legislation promised on that-----

Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: -----but I will ask the Minister for Health to speak to the Deputy directly on it.

Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The heads of that Bill were approved last December, and the Bill is currently being drafted by the Department of Health, but we do not have a date for publication yet.

Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Government is certainly open to considering any idea that might achieve the objectives we share, which are to reduce waste and protect the environment. To the best of my recollection, the Bill has not yet come before the Cabinet; therefore, there has not yet been a Government decision on it. We will need to study it. First, we need to ensure it will not transgress any rule relating to...

Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: When it comes to aviation, safety must come first. As I was formerly the Minister with responsibility for transport and aviation safety, it is an area about which I know a little and in which I certainly took an interest when I held that brief. Everyone in the House can be assured that, as far as we are concerned, when it comes to aviation, safety comes first. It is always the pilot's...

Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: No legislation has been promised in this area. There is a programme for Government commitment to increase the statutory minimum wage. In the past five years the national minimum wage has been increased on three occasions. It has been increased by about 20% during that period, at a higher rate than the increase in wages generally. I am sure it be will increased further into the future. The...

Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The visit of Prime Minister Trudeau to Ireland was a very welcome visit. The purpose of the visit was to cement the bonds of friendship that exist between our two countries and governments. We discussed many different issues in our meetings, but free trade and CETA, which is a free trade agreement between the EU and Canada, were things we discussed in depth. While some countries may be...