Results 2,141-2,160 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Order of Business. (21 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The Revised Estimates for Public Services 2005 have come back from committee, where they were debated in the normal way, for decision by the House.

Order of Business. (21 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: They were dealt with in committee for many hours. On the motion on terrorist offences, I do not have a problem with having a debate on the EU action plan. However, the Council decision on the exchange of information and co-operation concerning terrorist offences was proposed by the European Commission in response to the objective of the action plan. It aims to increase efficiency and the...

European Council Meetings: Statements. (21 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I attended the European Council in Brussels on 16 and 17 June. I was accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, and the Minister of State with responsibility for European Affairs, Deputy Treacy. The Presidency's conclusions have been laid before the House. The European Council had a challenging agenda. First, it had to deal with the setback to the ratification of...

European Council Meetings: Statements. (21 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Boundaries.

Written Answers — Departmental Budget: Departmental Budget (21 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The information the Deputy has requested is published every year in the appropriation account, which forms part of the annual report of the Comptroller and Auditor General. The detailed breakdown of the savings each year, together with an explanation of the variation from the Estimate provision is contained in Note 5 of the appropriation account. The following table gives details for each...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (21 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Since January 2005, I have had ongoing contacts with all political parties in Northern Ireland. I often meet political parties and others involved with the situation in Northern Ireland when they are in Dublin. It is a very helpful part of the process. I have made it absolutely clear that the Government will maintain dialogue with Sinn Féin and that is what I have continued to do. As I...

Leaders' Questions. (22 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: First, I wish to acknowledge the upset of the family of the late Peter McKenna, whose death prompted the issues we discussed here yesterday. His brother and sister have spoken movingly about his final days. Any family would rightly be upset, as would I and any Member of the House. I did not acknowledge that fact yesterday. Clearly, the delay in finalising the report about his death and the...

Leaders' Questions. (22 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy has asked several questions which I will try to answer quickly. The parties to the report have until 6 July to give their views. They include the family, the doctors and the members of the board in this case. I have already given the facts about the report. I should have said that, as I understand the matter, the Department of Health and Children wrote to the then Eastern Health...

Leaders' Questions. (22 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte has asked three questions. We have now published all the amendments in full. They are all here, completed and before the House. That is in line with what we were asked to do. We were advised to wait until the debate before publishing the final amendments.

Leaders' Questions. (22 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: We have done as we were asked: the debate was held last week, the second Morris report was published the previous week and the Minister has taken both of these into account. We have a long debate on the Garda Síochána Bill. The heads of the Bill were published and a consultation process was initiated.

Leaders' Questions. (22 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: We received and examined a report from the Human Rights Commission. We had a lengthy debate in the Seanad. We had one of the longest Second Stage debates in the history of the Dáil, followed by an extensive Committee Stage debate. The Opposition asked that the two Morris reports be debated before Report Stage. We have done all of those things and the debate is about to conclude. The...

Leaders' Questions. (22 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: There was none whatsoever. The report was not provided to the Attorney General or the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform by the Garda authorities at that stage on the basis of pending criminal cases. A partial version of the Carty report was eventually furnished in November 2001, the same month in which Shane Murphy, Senior Counsel, was appointed to review the matter. The complete...

Leaders' Questions. (22 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Just in case Deputy Rabbitte comes back, there was no truth whatsoever — not a shred — in the allegation that the Minister had called for the resignation of the Commissioner.

Leaders' Questions. (22 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte knows that is entirely untrue.

Leaders' Questions. (22 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The Carty report was not given until late January or early February 2002.

Leaders' Questions. (22 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I am answering Deputy Howlin's leader. He has had plenty of time to talk about these issues. The Carty investigation and its distillation, as the Minister has said on the record several times, was done by the then Deputy Commissioner Conroy. It was not done by Mr. Carty, and it was not even the Carty report.

Leaders' Questions. (22 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The Attorney General stated many times to the Minister, and put the point forward himself, that he could not act until he had the full report. When that full report was prepared, both he and the Minister acted.

Leaders' Questions. (22 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: It is entirely false to get a few dates and try to cobble something of that sort together when the Minister has made matters absolutely clear. To try to say the Minister is doing anything other than being entirely supportive of the Garda Síochána by introducing a modern Garda Síochána Bill, having gone through a detailed process and taken account of the issues with which the public, Mr....

Leaders' Questions. (22 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy knows the point I made. I said that accident and emergency facilities are under pressure for several reasons. However, the public constantly expresses satisfaction with the services it receives, whether as inpatients or outpatients, in theatres and in specialist services, in regard to maternity services, cardiac surgery and so on. International statistics indicate that these...

Leaders' Questions. (22 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The point I made is that we have achieved enormous success in a range of health services. The Tánaiste dealt with the issue of cystic fibrosis during yesterday's Question Time and has met the people concerned, as the Deputy mentioned. St. Vincent's Hospital is the national centre for cystic fibrosis patients and we have put significant resources into the process that is under way to upgrade...