Results 17,941-17,960 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar
- Order of Business (20 Jun 2017)
Leo Varadkar: It is impossible to have accountability if people are not allowed to speak. That is real arrogance.
- Order of Business (20 Jun 2017)
Leo Varadkar: Just to pick up on what was said earlier, I repeat that I did not know the appointment was going to be made until the morning of the Cabinet meeting when the memo-----
- Order of Business (20 Jun 2017)
Leo Varadkar: We are going to have a very long number of months and years if, every time I stand up, I am being interrupted half way through my first sentence. Just to say-----
- Order of Business (20 Jun 2017)
Leo Varadkar: As I said, I did not know the appointment was going to be made until the Cabinet meeting when the memo was presented, but I was aware the day before or the evening before that it might be a possibility, because anyone who follows these issues would know that there was a vacancy at the Court of Appeal and a former Attorney General might be the kind of person to be nominated to that. That is...
- Order of Business (20 Jun 2017)
Leo Varadkar: Deputy Martin's proposal is not something that I can support-----
- Order of Business (20 Jun 2017)
Leo Varadkar: -----for a number of reasons. First, I do not think it is right that the Dáil should be discussing judicial appointments. Judicial appointments speak to the separation of powers. I would ask that we get some advice from the Clerk of the Dáil-----
- Order of Business (20 Jun 2017)
Leo Varadkar: -----or others on this as to whether it is a breach of the separation of powers-----
- Order of Business (20 Jun 2017)
Leo Varadkar: -----for us to be discussing an individual judicial appointment in this House. With regard to Deputy Ryan's question as to who knew what, when, where and how, I again remind the House of Cabinet confidentiality. Even if they wished to do so, Cabinet Ministers are not at liberty to discuss what happens at Cabinet meetings or what happens when it comes to Government memos.
- Order of Business (20 Jun 2017)
Leo Varadkar: Unless we are ordered to do so, we are not in a position to breach Cabinet confidentiality and we are not going to do so.
- Order of Business (20 Jun 2017)
Leo Varadkar: There is obviously an opportunity in Private Members' time for the Opposition to discuss anything it want. The Judicial Appointments Commission Bill will be discussed next week, which will be an opportunity for the House to discuss judicial appointments in general, but I would counsel against this House discussing an individual judicial appointment. We have two justice motions that are time...
- Leaders' Questions (20 Jun 2017)
Leo Varadkar: First, I believe I did answer the Deputy's question and I can only answer it again. It is the prerogative of the Government and the authority of the Government to appoint judges.
- Leaders' Questions (20 Jun 2017)
Leo Varadkar: To change that would require not just legislation but also a referendum to take away the power of the Government to appoint judges, as provided for in our Constitution, in Bunreacht na hÉireann, at Article 13.
- Leaders' Questions (20 Jun 2017)
Leo Varadkar: That is the power of the Government and to change that would require a referendum.
- Leaders' Questions (20 Jun 2017)
Leo Varadkar: This appointment was entirely lawful, as I have said previously. As regards section 18 of the 1995 Act, this relates of course to a meeting of the JAAB that occurred back in May. I cannot speak for Ms Justice Whelan, but it does stand to reason, to me, that perhaps back in May she was not interested in this position because she was still Attorney General.
- Leaders' Questions (20 Jun 2017)
Leo Varadkar: How was Ms Justice Whelan, or Máire Whelan as she was at that time, to know when the former Taoiseach, Deputy Kenny, would step down, who would replace him and whether that person would want her to continue as Attorney General?
- Leaders' Questions (20 Jun 2017)
Leo Varadkar: It is entirely reasonable for me to accept that, back in May, the Attorney General wished to continue as Attorney General.
- Appointment of Members of Government and Ministers of State (20 Jun 2017)
Leo Varadkar: I beg leave to announce, for the information of the Dáil, that having informed the President that Dáil Éireann had approved my nomination of Deputies to be members of the Government, the President, on 14 June 2017, appointed them accordingly; that, on the same date, I nominated Deputy Francis Fitzgerald to be the Tánaiste and assigned the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and...
- Appointment of Members of Government and Ministers of State (20 Jun 2017)
Leo Varadkar: -----the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to Deputy Katherine Zappone; the Department of Social Protection to Deputy Regina Doherty; and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government to Deputy Eoghan Murphy. The old titles of those Departments remain until the legal procedures are made to change them. These assignments have been made pending the completion of the...
- Appointment of Members of Government and Ministers of State (20 Jun 2017)
Leo Varadkar: -----that, on 14 June 2017, the President appointed Seamus Woulfe SC as Attorney General; that, on the same date, the Government appointed Deputy Joe McHugh as Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach with responsibility as Government Chief Whip and at the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs with responsibility for Gaeilge, Gaeltacht and the...
- Leaders' Questions (20 Jun 2017)
Leo Varadkar: The appointment was appropriate. I am glad that the Deputy agrees that qualifications are not an issue in this case and that the former Attorney General is uniquely qualified for this important role. It is a controversy about the process followed. The process was lawful and is provided in under Article 13 of the Constitution. We have separate, independent legal advice, not legal advice...