Results 241-260 of 16,692 for speaker:Leo Varadkar in 'Dáil debates'

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: On the St. Patrick's Day events in the White House, I have not yet received an invitation. If I am invited, I will accept and, as always, use it as an opportunity to speak to the US President and Administration about matters of interest and concern to the Irish people. Those conversations are not always pleasant ones. While we agree on the majority of things, we do not agree on everything....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Of course. We are getting our own legal advice.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Durkan raised the issue of institutional investors. The Government recognises the need for protections to prevent institutional investors displacing owner occupiers. For this reason, we introduced tax and planning changes to protect traditional family houses from bulk purchase. These include changes introduced in May 2021 to the rate of stamp duty on bulk purchases. A 10% stamp...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their questions. Deputy Durkan raised the operation and layout of emergency departments. I very much agree with him that staff work very hard in emergency departments and are often subject to abuse and even violence from a minority of patients and their visitors and that is never acceptable. The NTPF is used to commission private healthcare for public patients and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The HSE can recruit an additional 2,000 staff this year.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 to 23, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on housing met yesterday. The committee works to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the implementation of Housing for All and programme for Government commitments regarding housing and related matters. Our latest update on progress achieved under Housing for All was published last Thursday. Despite...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid I do not have an update on the bridge project to hand but I will follow up on it and get back to the Deputy directly.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I do not have a direct role in deciding where post offices are located. It is a matter for An Post but I appreciate the feeling in the town. New Ross is a big town. It needs a post office, and post offices are much better located in the centre of the town than in other locations. I will speak to the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, about it and ask him to get back to the Deputy directly.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 12, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on health last met on 7 December 2023 and is currently scheduled to next meet on 12 February of this year. The committee oversees the programme for Government commitments relating to health and receives detailed reports on identified policy areas. It considers the progress of health reforms, including...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The Minister is working on that legislation at the moment. We do not have a date yet for the publication but it is a legislative priority for the Department of Justice.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy and acknowledge Limerick is one of a number of places that needs more gardaí. Blanchardstown in my constituency is another. The number of gardaí peaked in 2020. Templemore was closed as a consequence of Covid. It has now reopened and we expect the total number of gardaí to stabilise this year and begin increasing throughout the year. Some 746 trainee...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I appreciate the Deputy's interest in this matter and his consistency in raising it in the House. The in camerarule is there generally speaking to protect the identity of children and families in what can be very sensitive cases. To waive that would be something we would have to think about very carefully.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy McGrath for raising a very important issue for the people of Tipperary. I do not have any information on it to hand but I will certainly make inquiries of the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, and I will come back to the Deputy later.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. The safety and quality of drinking water is paramount. We are aware of the judgment in the case, and we are studying the details of it. We will respond to it in early course.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: We are very keen to proceed with the interim works in Midleton and then to proceed with the flood relief scheme. As the Deputy knows, I was down there a few months ago and I gave a commitment that we would pursue these projects so I will follow that up with the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, and also the Minister of State,...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I was really shocked and appalled to hear that it was even possible that UN staff would have been involved in the terrorist attack on 7 October. If it turns out to be true, I think it will do damage to the agency.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: It is a very serious matter. Even if it is a small number of staff in a very big agency, it is shocking to think that UN staff could be involved in any form of terrorist attack. It does need to be investigated thoroughly. We have taken the decision, however, not to suspend our funding to the agency. The people of Palestine need humanitarian aid, healthcare, and education and it would be a...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. To be clear, as a Government we will not accept any displacement of the Palestinian people from Gaza or any attempts to resettle Gaza or the permanent reoccupation of Gaza. What we are now working towards with our international partners is a ceasefire; one that can allow humanitarian aid in, that can allow the hostages to be released, which is crucial, that can allow the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I am not in favour of tax amnesties and I am surprised to hear him advocating them. I thought it was something he was against. The law is clear. People have to pay the TV licence and I encourage people to pay the TV licence, not just because of the law but because of funds. It is really important to have public service broadcasting including the news, current affairs,...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I am told that over 1,600 applications have been received for the old scheme and 236 for the enhanced scheme until the end of December but that over 300 have received grants of the higher rate under the new scheme. I will ask the Minister to come back to the Deputy with the exact figures.