Results 161-180 of 16,691 for speaker:Leo Varadkar in 'Dáil debates'

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: That is a different thing. I am glad that is clear because it is a Russian speaking point. Aside from the historical lectures that one gets from Russia, one of its speaking points is that the expansion of NATO forced them to invade Ukraine-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: -----in order to prevent it from joining NATO, which would be its choice, not Russia's, in my view. Whether we agree with NATO expansion or not, I think it is up to individual countries and their democratically elected governments to decide whether they want to join. It should not be decided in Russia or other places. We of course discussed NATO in our conversations. All three are...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Decisions on security matters, including road closures such as, for example, in the Phoenix Park, are not made by me. They are security matters, they are dealt with by the Garda and the Defence Forces and they must, of course, remain confidential. At my meeting with the Chinese Premier, I raised our concerns about the treatment of the Uyghur population in Xinjiang. Premier Li disputed the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 to 20, inclusive, together. I visited the western Balkans from 10 to 12 January 2024. My visit to Kosovo was an opportunity, in particular, to thank the Irish members of the Defence Forces serving with the Kosovo Force, KFOR, and the Irish people serving with the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, EULEX, for the vital work they do in...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputies for their questions. As was said earlier there are lots of conspiracy theories about Davos and the World Economic Forum, and particularly online. No big decisions are made there. In fact no decisions are made at all. If that was the case I would stay for the whole thing. As it happens I had to leave early and arrive late. I arrived late because the Chinese Prime...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I proposes to take Questions Nos. 9 to 15, inclusive, together. I welcomed Premier Li Qiang to Ireland on 17 January for a working visit which marked 45 years of diplomatic relations between Ireland and China. In addition to our bilateral meeting, there was a working lunch that included several Chinese ministers, the Governor of the Central Bank of China, the Tánaiste and the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Tógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimh. 1 go 8, go huile, le chéile. My programme included engagements with businesses with investments or interests in Ireland. I spoke at a dinner hosted by IDA Ireland, which was attended by business leaders from the manufacturing, chemical, technology and finance sectors. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael McGrath, also attended. I met with...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I understand that submission is currently with the Department and officials are going over the numbers to see what level of contribution would be appropriate. I will mention to the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, and the Minister, Deputy Martin, that it was raised in the Chamber today.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: If the referendums are passed and the Constitution is so amended, it will still be possible for future governments and the Oireachtas to discriminate in favour of people who are married. That will not change. It will obviously be up to the Oireachtas and Government at the time to decide exactly on what basis they wish to favour or discriminate in favour of people who are married.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: This issue has not been brought to my attention before. Now that it has, I will make inquiries of the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, and the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and ask them to come back to the Deputy with a more thoughtful and detailed reply.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for his ongoing interest in the issue of rare diseases and orphan medicines. He and the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, are two of the strongest advocates in the House on these issues. There was a change in the Revised Estimate in December in which we allocated a certain amount - I cannot recall the exact amount - for new medicines. It was not specifically for rare...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Of course I accept responsibility for it. I am the Taoiseach and the head of Government. I accept responsibility for all that is good about this country and also for trying to put right all that is wrong. That is my job as Taoiseach. The national children's hospital project is not a waste of money. It will be an absolutely fabulous facility.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: It will make an enormous difference. It will be there for 50 or 100 years. It will be comparable with and better than any children's hospital in the world. I know it has cost too much and taken too long. Like many other big projects, such as terminal 2 in Dublin Airport or the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire, nobody will regret it when they see it.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I am very sorry to hear about that case. I read about it in the media. As the Deputy will be aware, the Health Act precludes-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Perhaps it is a different case. Either way, I am sorry to hear what that boy and his family have had to experience. The Health Act, for very good reasons, makes it unlawful for me or any Minister to direct the HSE to do anything for any particular patient. That would not be right, for all sorts of reasons. If the Deputy sends me on the details and permissions from the family to take an...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy very much for raising this important issue. It has been raised with me by Deputies Feighan and MacSharry as well. It was expected that patients and staff at The Rock community hospital would move to the new community hospital in Ballyshannon this week. However, it emerged that following a vote taken by the nurses' union, staff refused to move to the new facility, citing...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I will have to look into it a little bit further. I am not an expert in how the courts operate but I do know they operate independently of this House and of the Government. I think it is the case that judges have discretion as to whether hearings are heldin camerabut they are done to protect vulnerable people, including children. I will make some further inquiries about it, in particular...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy very much. He can be assured that the Government will be very keen to fund any plan to bring the barracks back into use and back to life. I do not know the details of the project but the Deputy can be assured that it is now very much on my radar.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: We did not actually remove our commitment but we did reduce it substantially on account of the financial crisis that occurred here 12 or 15 years ago. To cut to the chase, the situation is now different. We are in a much better place as a country, financially, and the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly are back up and running. I had a chance to speak to the Minister, Mr. O'Dowd, about...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: There are a number of really important projects in Cork that we are keen to progress. the Deputy mentioned three of them: the north ring road, the M20 between Cork and Limerick and the Mallow bypass. There are other projects too such as the ones in Castlemartyr and Ringaskiddy. I could name a few more such as the project linking Carrigtohill, Midleton and Youghal. We will do our best to...