Results 1-20 of 11,894 for at speaker:Leo Varadkar

Delivering Universal Healthcare: Statements (15 May 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I welcome this debate. I am thankful for being provided with some time to contribute to it, both as a Member of the House and a former Minister for Health and former Head of Government. When we talk about universal healthcare or universal health coverage, one of the most important questions we need to ask is how it is defined. It means very different things to different people. Perhaps...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Sports Facilities (1 May 2024)

Leo Varadkar: 162. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of the construction of a velodrome at the Sport Ireland Campus. [19671/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (1 May 2024)

Leo Varadkar: 287. To ask the Minister for Health how many people are currently availing on the free PrEP pre-exposure profilaxis programme to prevent HIV; if he is satisfied that at risk men can access the programme without any barriers; if there is a waiting list for the programme and how long the wait is for a first assessment; and if he plans to extend the service to GPs. [19668/24]

Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Apr 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for the opportunity to share some thoughts and reflections on the legislation before us. I welcome the Bill, which, of course, I will support. I want to take the opportunity to recognise the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and her officials for bringing it to this point, and also previous Ministers such as Senator Regina Doherty and previous officials...

Éirí as Oifig an Taoisigh - Resignation of Taoiseach (9 Apr 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...chur in iúl duit gur éirigh mé as oifig mar Thaoiseach inné trína chur sin in iúl don Uachtarán de bhun an Bhunreachta. Yesterday, I resigned from the office of Taoiseach by placing my resignation in the hands of the President, pursuant to the Constitution. I have had the privilege to serve for the past 20 years as a public representative, 13 years in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Middle East (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: As regards the humanitarian situation in Gaza and funding for UNRWA, we call on all states to restore their funding for UNRWA pending the outcome of the investigation about possible collaboration. The EU has done that and has restored funding and we want other countries to do the same. As regards my talks in Washington, yes, we talked about the US putting more pressure on Israel to allow...

Pre-European Council Meeting: Statements (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I will participate in the March meeting of the European Council in Brussels tomorrow and Friday. The agenda will cover Ukraine, security and defence, the Middle East, enlargement, migration, agriculture and the European semester. There will be a discussion on specific foreign policy issues, including the death of Alexei Navalny and the situation in Belarus. Leaders will take stock of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Offices (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...health screening, which commenced on 18 March. There is a building where meals are served and men can charge phones and have food provided. Crosscare is also conducting support visits. That is essentially what is being provided at Crooksling at the moment. I will have to come back to Deputy Barry with a more definitive answer on Covid-19 and long Covid, but my understanding is that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Middle East (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...inclusive, together. The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, and I wrote a joint letter to the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, on 14 February expressing our deep concern at the deteriorating situation in Israel and Gaza, and particularly its impact on women and children. With the risk of an even greater humanitarian catastrophe posed by Israeli military...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Programme for Government (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Ceann Comhairle. Deputies raised the issue of assessment of needs. I know we have a very big problem with waiting times for that. We all know it from our constituency clinics. The real struggle is finding enough clinically and appropriately qualified staff to carry out the assessments and provide all of the therapies. There are some big recruitment campaigns under way. Money...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Offices (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 to 12, inclusive, together. The parliamentary liaison unit in the Department of the Taoiseach assists the Government in its relationship with the Oireachtas. It works with the Office of the Government Chief Whip on issues that arise at the Business Committee and the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform, including Dáil reform proposals...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Programme for Government (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...published the programme for Government in June 2020, we said: This is a Programme to recover our economy, rebuild our society, renew our communities, and respond to the challenges we face both nationally and internationally. This will be a Government of enterprise, creating new jobs, preparing for the jobs of the future, driving our economic recovery, and improving the quality of life...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I appreciate the prices at the pump are rising and that impacts commuters, motorists and many people in business, including hauliers. As Deputies will remember, we reduced these excise rates on a temporary basis at a time when prices were over €2 a litre and thankfully they are still well below that. It would not be possible for the Government to reopen the budget now. There would...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy, I think there is no more righteous glow than the moral indignation of isolating yourself and criticising everyone else. That is not the way you influence people. I have been working very hard in the past few months, as has the Tánaiste, in influencing the position of the US, as well as that of the EU, bringing it closer to ours. I think this has happened not because of what we...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. Referendum or no referendum, I think we need to do more to demonstrate that we value carers and are on their side. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, is bringing through legislation that will give pensioners a full State contributory pension, recognising their years of caring as equivalent to PRSI contributions. I think this is very important. There are several sets of...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I discussed this issue with the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, today, and only in the last week with the Minister of State with responsibility for special education, Deputy Madigan. The explanation they gave me is that this new model is fairer. Two thirds of schools will have the same number of hours or will, in fact, gain hours. It is not the case that complex needs will not be a...

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: 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: 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...