Results 41-60 of 40,263 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Death of Charlie Bird: Expressions of Sympathy (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I wish to take this brief opportunity to allow us to recall and recognise the life of Charlie Bird. I think he was somebody who pretty much everyone in this House knew from his professional life. He was an extraordinary and animated journalist who really brought stories to life. In his later years, he showed enormous courage and bravery in the campaigns he led. He will be sorely missed by...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The mother and baby homes institutions payment scheme opened for applications at 9 o'clock this morning. It has taken far too long but I am glad the scheme is now up and running. An extensive information and awareness campaign will take place both at home and abroad, and applicants will be supported throughout the application process with the information and advice they need. Where a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The people will decide who will constitute the next Government when the next election comes, which will be within the next year. In the meantime, the current Dáil should continue to do its work and the current Government will continue to do its work, focusing on the issues mentioned by the Deputy such as housing, health, law and order and many other issues. I know that we have a very...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: -----all over his constituency. We are seeing record levels of investment in social housing and, most encouraging, we are now seeing 500 individuals and couples buying their first home every week. That is so encouraging to see. It is not enough, however, and the last thing that will change that is spending the next month, or two, three, four or five months, having an election and trying to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I once again restate the Government has the confidence of the Dáil and it will continue its work, albeit under a new Taoiseach and a new leader of my party. Obviously, the leaders of the other parties will remain the same. The Government will focus on the work at hand. I acknowledge the appalling scourge on our society that homelessness is and how shameful it is. I also acknowledge...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I am always willing to acknowledge the problems the country faces and the very real problems people have in their lives. I do so pretty much daily, or at least I have for 13 years now. I acknowledge the problems we face when it comes to housing and the deep crisis that exists there for so many people as well as the cost of living and the challenges around migration. I acknowledge all those...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: You heard what I said.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The truth is-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Play it back, Deputy Cairns, look in the mirror and ask yourself whether you engaged in honest politics there or not. I think there is potential in Deputy Cairns and her party, but my fear-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: There is a lot of potential. My fear is an obvious one. It is that Deputy Cairns is very much a politician of the social media age. It is not about truth. It is not about information. It is about the clip to put online, and if that means misinformation or disinformation-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: -----if it gets me more clicks and likes, well then, more of it.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for her kind words on a personal level. As a new TD and a party leader, she has had a meteoric and dramatic rise in politics and I wish her the best in the future. I mean that because we need new people and young people in politics. The work of the Government will continue. I have made that clear, as have the other party leaders who make up the majority in the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. There is very little humility in any of her contributions. She possesses many qualities but humility is definitely not one of them. As often, she is a master of misinformation. There will be a general election within a year; there has to be. I spoke to the President today after making my statement and I look forward to seeing him in the next couple of days or...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Just to be clear, I have resigned as Fine Gael president and leader today. I have not resigned as Taoiseach, but that will follow. Our Constitution – and it is the people’s Constitution – is very clear on this. The office of president is directly elected; the office of Taoiseach is not. The office of Taoiseach is elected by Dáil Éireann, which is elected...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Referendum Campaigns (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The referendums to which the Deputy refers were held pursuant to Article 46.2 of the Constitution following the passage by both Houses of the Oireachtas of two Bills proposed by the Government. A Government-sponsored Bill is only presented to the Oireachtas with the Government’s prior approval.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of the Taoiseach works closely with the Defence Forces and An Garda Síochána to ensure the safety and security of office holders and staff located in Government Buildings. There are appropriate protocols in place in the event of security incidents, including bomb threats and other emergencies. The Department does not provide details in relation to such incidents for...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Public Inquiries (20 Mar 2024)

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...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Bodies (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 40 and 41 together. Expenditure by the Shared Island unit in the Department of the Taoiseach relates primarily to the Shared Island research programme and dialogue series. Provision is made in the Revised Estimates each year, as part of the Department’s administration subhead allocation, for the work of the Shared Island unit. Detail on expenditure...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: All lump sum payments to civil servants retiring from the Department of the Taoiseach are paid from Vote 12 Superannuation and Retired Allowances overseen by the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform subject to normal eligibility requirements. Ministerial personal staff employed on temporary contracts are entitled to severance/ex-gratia payments, including statutory...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Funding (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of the Taoiseach did not provide funding to any non-governmental organisations in the past three years.