Results 1,821-1,840 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----the Deputy raised on the cost-of-living crisis, of course, I acknowledge that many parents and families are struggling with the cost of living. We are acting on this, however. I will give the Deputy 12 ways in which we are acting in the 16 seconds that remain. We increased the national minimum wage and working family payment for low-income working families. We increased social...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Let me be very clear. I believe we need more gardaí and more Garda staff. I said so last week when I was asked about it and I stand over it. We need more gardaí and more Garda staff, and that is exactly what we are doing. We have authorised the recruitment of 1,000 new gardaí this year. Of course, there will be...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I have been in government for 12 years, and in those 12 years this country has made enormous progress. Just look at the figures that came out this morning from the Central Statistics Office, CSO. There are 2.6 million people at work and unemployment has fallen to 4.1%. Compare that to where we were 12 years ago. The Deputy does not like to talk about this, but let us not forget that her...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----for parents who are concerned about their children not getting therapies. If the Deputy wants to bring up my record in government, she should not think it is any surprise that I should bring up hers. I am happy to compare it anytime, point for point.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: If she brings it up again, I will bring it up again. On the issue of assessments of need, we have a real challenge here. Assessments of need are legal entitlement, but have become a barrier to children getting the therapies they need. We shortened the assessment of need. That helped for a period of time and reduced the waiting lists. A court decision meant that we had to reverse that-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----and now that has created a problem.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: That is sometimes what happens when you put things in law with a good intention. It can backfire on you.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: On the issue of reimbursement, that is something we are going to give consideration to. The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, in response to Deputy Kelly, already indicated that. When you do those things, you have to do it right. It is not unusual for us to reimburse private practitioners.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: We do it with respect to GPs, we do it in dentistry and we do it in pharmacy. Yes, we are open to considering that over the next couple of months when it comes to therapy, but we have to do it right because if we do it wrong it can backfire.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy raised a lot of very important issues there. I am not sure if I can cover them all in my response given the time I have, but I will do my best. It is as simple as this: when you have an economy that is growing, when you have more people at work, when you have more people who are earning more, and when you have more businesses trading more and making more profits, there are more...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. All of us will know from our experience in our constituencies or from talking to parents while out and about around the country that many children are not getting the assessments they need in due time and that are others are waiting far too long for the therapies they required. Having said that, this is an area in respect of which the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Business Supports (24 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I have referred the Deputy’s correspondence to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Minister for Transport and the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media for consideration and reply on the appropriate sources of advice and any potential supports for the company. This guidance would not be provided by the Shared Island unit, but by the relevant...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (23 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: They are under consideration, but that is all.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (23 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I again thank Deputies for their questions. On the issue of communications, information and engaging with communities, I reassure the House that work is ongoing across Government to intensify and improve communications and community engagement. We should not forget that 84,000 people have been provided with State accommodation in the past year in more than 100 different centres throughout...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (23 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their questions. Deputy Dillon's was the first question, and it related to balanced regional development. I really want to echo his words in that regard. It is a Government objective to make sure we have job opportunities in all parts of the country. We are making some real progress in that regard. More than half of all of the investments by IDA Ireland companies...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (23 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I do not see how the State could do anything other than reaffirm the fact there was no special arrangement with Apple and that the allegations made by the Commission are untrue in that regard. Even if the case goes against us and we find ourselves in the possession €13 billion, it will not be ours to spend. Other countries will want their share of it too.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (23 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I have seven more questions that I do not have time to reply to.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (23 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: If the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach wants to take time off the next round of questions I do not mind but it is up to Members.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (23 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I will be as brief as I can. We plan to enact the duty of care legislation this year. We want to rebalance it or at last say to people that there are inherent risks taken in engaging in certain activities. We hope this will help to bring down the cost of insurance. Deputy Gannon raised the issue of a municipal market. He is spot on in raising that issue. It is something that is really...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (23 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: We will. We strengthened its powers and increased its resources only last year, but we will.