Results 161-180 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: As is ever the case on a Tuesday and Wednesday, Deputy McDonald's questions contain examples of misinformation and then her follow-up contains misrepresentation. That needs to be called out and certainly needs to be-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: -----analysed and reported on a little bit more. The problems that are occurring in the emergency department in University Hospital Limerick are very real. Everyone who has visited there knows that. I have been in the old and new emergency departments and have visited the hospital many times, as has every TD and Senator from the region. The Deputy knows that too. It is about capacity,...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: -----that says it is about more than the hospital itself, as it involves the other hospitals in the region and community services too. What have we done about it? Since this Government was formed, there are 1,000 more staff in UHL, there has been a 45% increase in budget and there are an additional 98 beds. We are currently constructing a new ward block of 96 beds which will be complete by...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: -----with planning having been granted only at the end of last year. There are also developments in other hospitals, such as the minor injury unit in Ennis. There are developments in Nenagh as well. The building of a private hospital, the Bon Secours hospital, will be of some use as well.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: First, I want to acknowledge that our hospitals all around the country are under a lot of pressure. That is correct. It is driven in part by rising population, increasing frailty, more older people and the availability of more treatments. I know that patients are experiencing conditions in some parts of the country that they should not have to experience. I know that many staff are...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: EU Funding (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of the Taoiseach is not in receipt of EU funding.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Properties (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of the Taoiseach and the National Economic and Social Development Office do not pay ground rents. All properties used are provided and managed by the Office of Public Works.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: International Protection (28 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Over the last two years, unprecedented numbers of people have sought protection in Europe and in Ireland due to Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine and other conflicts. It is important to be as responsive as possible to genuine local concerns. The best way to address this is to ensure that the structures and supports which have been put in place as part of the humanitarian response...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Information and Communications Technology (27 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The Office of the Attorney General has identified a need to significantly improve accessibility of the eISB to meet current international standards. In that context, the tool to which the Deputy refers has been removed as part of an overall redesign of the website, currently under way, to bring it up to the highest international standards of accessibility and which is expected to be...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Data Centres (27 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: In common with other Government Departments, the Department of the Taoiseach has in place comprehensive arrangements to support Data security. Data is stored predominantly on Government Networks. The Department of the Taoiseach receives regular advice on these matters from the relevant authorities, including the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and the National Cyber...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Transport Policy (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Tógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimh. 12 go 14, go huile, le chéile. The economic division of my Department assists me and the Government in developing and implementing policy across relevant areas, including economic growth and job creation, infrastructure and housing and climate action and social dialogue. The work especially focuses on the deliver of commitments in the programme...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Transport Policy (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I have no objection if the Deputy wants to take three minutes.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Transport Policy (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Once again, I thank the Deputies for their questions. Deputy Boyd Barrett raised the issue of ride sharing. Perhaps I can give some assurance to taxi drivers in that regard. It is something we have all used when we were abroad. Generally speaking, it is a good service. I have used Uber, Bolt and Lyft. With one exception, I found the service provided to be good. However, I have concerns...

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: That is the point. The Deputy is not critical of Venezuela or Cuba. There are double standards all over the place.

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy should do a bit of research and count the number of times he has raised Palestine as opposed to Ukraine, and the number of times he has raised human rights abuses in Cuba and Venezuela as opposed to China.

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: He is pretty good at double standards. The situation in Ukraine is different from that in Palestine. The attack on Ukraine was totally unprovoked. Ukraine is a democracy, not a dictatorship or a theocracy. It is also a European country, in our neighbourhood, and a country that had applied to join the European Union. Indeed, one of the reasons Russia attacked Ukraine was that it wanted...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Investigations (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: In advance of the Government considering the Final Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes in January 2021, certain information that related to matters therein was disclosed in a newspaper article. In that context, the then Taoiseach requested that an investigation be carried out. The investigation was conducted by a senior official in my Department and it...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Investigations (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I emphasise to the Deputy that, as would be usual, the investigation was carried out by the Department. I was not involved in conducting it, directing it or influencing it, nor was the then Taoiseach. It is important to make clear, although it should be self-evident, that any process such as this should be allowed to be conducted without any interference or otherwise in the process. ...

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their questions. I will respond first to Deputy Haughey. This Parliament has already passed a motion in favour of the recognition of Palestine as a state. The Government wants to fulfil that in a way that is meaningful. We could do it unilaterally tomorrow but it would be effectively a press release that would be dismissed by Israel and nobody would follow it....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cross-Border Co-operation (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their contributions. I would like to echo Deputy Smith's comments on the A5. I am really keen that in building the A5, we do not forget about the Donegal TEN-T and the M2 because it is all one project in many ways, or at least it is all the one road, albeit that its name changes when it crosses the Border. Regarding the Ulster final in Clones, I have never been...