Results 17,701-17,720 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Leaders' Questions (28 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: What Sinn Féin will do will be the responsible thing and give people proper information-----

Leaders' Questions (28 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: -----and not try to exploit their-----

Leaders' Questions (28 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As I said, I am confident that Sinn Féin and no other politicians in the House will try to exploit panic or fear. They will of course do the right thing and give people accurate information, reassure them and explain to them why this system is being introduced nationwide. It already applies in roughly half the country. In terms of mitigation, the Minister for Communications,...

Leaders' Questions (28 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: -----and assist them in doing what they need to do to reduce their bills, which are those obvious things to reduce the amount of waste that people produce, such as recycling as much as they can and reusing compost. In addition to that, there is going to be a requirement that all waste collectors introduce organic brown bins to all communities nationwide with a population of more than 500...

Leaders' Questions (28 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Gabhaim buíochas freisin leis an Teachta as an cheist. I thank her very much for acknowledging that the recent statistics from 2015 do show that consistent poverty is down and that income inequality is narrowing, albeit still much worse than where we were before the crisis. It is going in the right direction. I note that the Deputy acknowledged...

Leaders' Questions (28 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I should add to the actions that I mentioned earlier the fact that children in receipt of the domiciliary care allowance are now automatically entitled to a medical card. Ten thousand children who did not receive a medical card previously now have it as an automatic right. I pay tribute to the work of the Minister, Deputy Harris, and Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, in this regard....

Leaders' Questions (28 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I absolutely accept that very many families not just in the Defence Forces, but across the country, are finding it very hard to make ends meet. I refer in particular to families who have additional costs, whether they are mortgage, rent and child care costs or loans to be repaid. It is absolutely the case that very many families of members of the Defence Forces and well beyond are...

Leaders' Questions (28 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: No decision has been made on that.

Leaders' Questions (28 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: There is nothing being rushed through at the 11th hour and there is nothing here that should come as much of a surprise. This has been coming for more than a year when a decision was made to enter into an agreement voluntarily with the 67 waste collection providers to suspend charges for a period. What this is essentially about is the environment and the need to reduce waste and encourage...

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I am sorry to leave the House on hold.

Leaders' Questions (28 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I have immense respect for our Defence Forces and for the work they do daily throughout the country. I am particularly proud of the roles they played in the commemorations in 2016 for the centenary celebrations and that they will continue to play over the next ten years. All of us in the House are proud of the important role they play overseas, whether in peacekeeping missions in Lebanon...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (28 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I spoke with President Trump by phone yesterday afternoon. It was a short congratulatory call, similar to a number of calls I have had over recent days. The President and I spoke about Brexit and its impact on Ireland as well as the Peace Process and efforts to reinstate power sharing in Northern Ireland. I acknowledged the importance of continued close interest and support from the US...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Ministerial Advisers Appointments (28 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I am currently considering the advisory supports that I might need in my role as Taoiseach and Head of Government. While I have not as yet finalised the make-up of my team, I intend to recruit a number of Special Advisers, including a Chief of Staff. All such appointments will be, of course, subject to Government approval.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Agencies Data (28 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The National Economic and Social Council (NESC), the only relevant body insofar as my Department is concerned, is an advisory body and not required to have a tax clearance certificate.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (27 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I will start from the top. I met the DUP and Sinn Féin, which have been the two largest parties in Northern Ireland for two elections running and which are the main unionist and nationalist parties. I spoke to the leader of the UUP by telephone and we are making arrangements for me to meet delegations from the SDLP and the Alliance Party as soon as that can be done. However, as the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (27 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy knows, either would require legislation. I would not wish to see or support a return to direct rule. Nor would I see any purpose being served by another election. That is why I do not wish to contemplate either of those outcomes being the case. Deputy McDonald asked about the UK changing its mind on the customs union. I suppose I was expressing an aspiration. She may...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (27 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: In our conversations, we did not have any detailed discussions on community relations. It was touched on but we did not discuss them in any particular depth. Having read the confidence-and-supply agreement between the Conservative Party and the DUP, I was particularly struck and disappointed by the fact that funding for shared education can now be reallocated to other purposes. That is an...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government (27 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy will have to ask her.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government (27 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I do not know everything everyone else knows.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government (27 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: It is not that cosy.