Results 161-180 of 40,263 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. Is fadhb mhór í agus is tubaiste é i mo thuairim agus táimid ag lorg níos mó eolais agus ag iarraidh an fhadhb sin a réiteach. I have met the patient groups and I would be happy to meet them again. It is not my practice to organise meetings on the floor of the House, but I will be happy to meet them again as soon as there is a gap in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: No, it is not the point. The Deputy had used misinformation about the waiting lists here in the House.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: She has also claimed that the Minister said that he did not know where the money was spent. That is not what he said. It was spent on 200 staff, more beds, a new theatre-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: -----and a new MRI scanner. If the Deputy and her party honestly want to be involved in helping us to come up with a solution, which should not be political football, they need a different approach.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. Ireland is a very good country in which to raise a child. Out of 200 countries in the world, we are in the top ten or 20 in almost everything. We have very good maternal and neonatal health services. We have among the lowest infant mortality rates in the world. We have a very good education system with among the best education outcomes in the world. We have...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as a cuid ceisteanna. Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil fadhb mhór againn leis na seirbhísí sin agus tá brón orm faoi. I know from my own experience, having worked in medicine as a doctor in what seems a long time ago now, that the problem of failures and inadequate services when it comes to spinal surgery, scoliosis and spina...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Covid-19 Pandemic (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 and 28 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: National Security (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The State’s security is a priority for the Government. We already have functioning services in place that carry out significant and important roles in protecting the State and the people, notably An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces and the National Cyber Security Centre. Much of the security-focused work our services do is, of its very nature, covert and simply cannot...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Social Dialogue (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The social dialogue unit, part of the economic division of the Department, co-ordinates and assists the Government's overall approach to social dialogue. This includes the Labour Employer Economic Forum, LEEF, which engages with representatives of employers and trade unions on economic and employment issues insofar as they affect the labour market, and which are of mutual concern. The most...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: An Garda Síochána (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: A Policing Service for our Futureis the Government’s Plan to implement the Report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. The Implementation of the Plan has been overseen by a dedicated Programme Office in the Department of the Taoiseach and an Implementation Group on Policing Reform (IGPR), chaired by an independent person. This phase is expected to conclude this year...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (20 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their questions. Deputy Brendan Smith asked about the legacy Bill. He raises these issues regularly in the Chamber. I welcome that because it keeps them on the agenda. I will certainly continue to discuss them with Prime Minister Sunak any time we meet. Deputy Durkan asked about the Executive and the assembly. I am keen to work with them and to work closely...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (20 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Yes. The Deputy might send me a note. I am aware of the issue but am not 100% across it.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (20 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 to 24, inclusive, together. The return of the power-sharing Executive and the Northern Ireland Assembly is hugely welcome. I was very pleased to travel to Stormont on 5 February to meet the new First and deputy First Ministers and other members of the Executive Committee of Ministers. While in Belfast, I met the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. I...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (20 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputies for their questions. In response to Deputy Alan Farrell, I have received an acknowledgement from President von der Leyen of the letter I co-wrote with Prime Minister Sánchez but I have not received a detailed reply from her as yet. The matter was taken up by the Tánaiste at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday and there was a discussion about it among the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Security (20 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their contributions. I want to put on the record that the Irish authorities have been very successful in recent months in stopping drugs being smuggled into the country. I want to recognise the contribution of An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces and the Revenue Commissioners, which work in consort with counterparts in other parts of Europe and around the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (20 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 to 16, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on EU and international affairs oversees the implementation of programme for Government commitments and considers policy matters in relation to the European Union and international issues. It most recently met on 4 December, when it looked ahead to the EU-western Balkans summit which took place in...

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Security (20 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Question Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together. I can assure the House that the State’s security is a priority for the Government and, in this context, I would emphasise that we already have in place functioning services which carry out significant and important roles in protecting the State and the people, notably An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces and...

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

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy can be assured that along with the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, I am working hard as Taoiseach to make sure this matter is resolved as soon as possible. As I mentioned earlier, the CEO of the HSE met with the board on Sunday. A proposal has been made to St. John of God that includes additional funding and a pathway to deal with legacy...

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

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising the important issue of the St. John of God Community Services and for contacting me about it during the week, as other Deputies did. Everyone here is aware there is a dispute between the HSE on one side and the board of St. John of God on the other. Both sides are putting their best foot forward and negotiating hard so that we can come to a resolution. What...

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

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I assure him absolutely that stroke care and treatment form an area in which we will continue to invest. We will invest more this year and indeed in the coming years. Somebody who has a stroke today in Ireland is 40% more likely to survive it than in 2011. Since 2011, we have gone from tenth place to fifth place in the EU 18. This is one of the many areas where we...