Results 201-220 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)

Dermot Ahern: Because the GPs are so bloody dear.

Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)

Dermot Ahern: The doctors might charge less — €150 for one second with a consultant.

Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)

Dermot Ahern: I agree.

Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)

Dermot Ahern: Including the dead patients for whom doctors received €14 million.

Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)

Dermot Ahern: The Deputy should give up the fags rather than concern himself with smokescreens.

Written Answers — Harbours and Piers: Harbours and Piers (4 May 2004)

Dermot Ahern: Officials from my Department and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government are considering the modalities for the transfer of Baltimore Harbour and certain other harbours operating under the Harbours Act 1946 to local authority ownership. I expect that the work will take some months to come to fruition as it involves, inter alia, the undertaking of an audit of the...

Written Answers — Offshore Exploration: Offshore Exploration (4 May 2004)

Dermot Ahern: Six exploration wells were drilled between 1999 and 2004, all of them off the north-west, west and south-west coasts. All six wells have been plugged and abandoned. Shell E&P Ireland's Dooish well penetrated a substantial column of gas condensate, however, the results of which are being analysed. A second well, Statoil's Cong well, had both oil and gas shows. There are no remaining...

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (4 May 2004)

Dermot Ahern: I rely on the advice of the National Salmon Commission and the managers of the regional fisheries boards to determine the terms of the wild salmon and sea-trout tagging scheme, which, inter alia, sets out the quotas for the commercial catch in each of the 17 fishery districts, including the Kerry district. The district quotas for 2004 have been set out in regulations which my colleague, the...

Written Answers — Property Acquisitions: Property Acquisitions (4 May 2004)

Dermot Ahern: My Department has no record of discussions or negotiations in connection with the purchase or lease of the former Stella Maris Mercy Convent and boarding school at Mount Trenchard, Foynes, County Limerick.

Written Answers — Exploration Licences: Exploration Licences (4 May 2004)

Dermot Ahern: During this period my Department received 40 applications for authorisations. Of these 40 applications two were for petroleum leases, two for lease undertakings, three for frontier exploration licences, 19 for licensing options and 14 for petroleum prospecting licences. Some 38 authorisations were awarded as a result. Two applications — one for a licensing option and one for a petroleum...

Written Answers — Salmon Lice: Salmon Lice (4 May 2004)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 183 and 184 together. A comprehensive programme of monitoring and control of sea lice levels at marine finfish farms is carried out on behalf of my Department by the Marine Institute. The inspection carried out at the fish farm in question in January of this year found that sea lice numbers were below the level specified in respect of that time of the year....

Written Answers — Fishing Licences: Fishing Licences (4 May 2004)

Dermot Ahern: The overriding objective of the Government is to preserve the salmon resource in its own right and for the coastal and rural communities that it helps to support. The economic goals for a sustainable commercial salmon fishery based on quality and value rather than volume and the development of salmon angling as an important tourism product are both fully compatible with the primary objective....

Seanad: Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (6 May 2004)

Dermot Ahern: Molaim an Bille don Teach. I commend this Bill to Seanad Éireann. The purpose of this Bill is to raise the ESB's statutory borrowing limit which will facilitate its major infrastructure investment programme being undertaken. This includes significant investment in renewing and upgrading the electricity network. The statutory borrowing limit currently stands at £1.6 billion which is...

Seanad: Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (6 May 2004)

Dermot Ahern: I again thank Senators for their forbearance in allowing me to bring the Bill through the House in such an expeditious manner. A number of Members referred to the cost of electricity. Senator Kenneally provided figures to show the cost of residential electricity in Ireland is below the EU average. The position is different for industrial users. However, with the opening of the market in 2005,...

Seanad: Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (6 May 2004)

Dermot Ahern: I thank the House for the expeditious passage of this legislation. It will allow the ESB to continue to invest. It is hoped that it will be quickly passed in Dáil and signed into law. I will return to the House with the more substantive Bill later this year. I thank the Senators for their remarks and my officials for the work they have carried out on this Bill.

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (13 May 2004)

Dermot Ahern: As I indicated in my reply to Question No. 121 of 24 February 2004, investigations have been carried out in respect of matters relating to the discovery last summer of salmon buried on land near Casla, County Galway. As proceedings are pending, it would not be appropriate to comment further on the matter at this time. My Department continues to carry out regular residue testing in accordance...

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (13 May 2004)

Dermot Ahern: A comprehensive system of monitoring and control of sea lice levels at marine finfish farms is operated on behalf of my Department by the Marine Institute. Certain inspections carried out at some fish farms in Connemara this year have found elevated levels of lice which in a limited number of cases have been of the magnitude suggested by the Deputy. In any such cases, the operators of the...

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (13 May 2004)

Dermot Ahern: I am advised that the submission, dated 7 May 2004, to which the Deputy refers was received by my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Browne, earlier this week. As the Deputy may be aware, I recently commissioned a fundamental review of the inland fisheries sector, which is ongoing. The independent consultants undertaking the review are required, inter alia, to evaluate the adequacy of...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (18 May 2004)

Dermot Ahern: The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available. I shall arrange for it to be collated and forwarded as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Eel Population: Eel Population (18 May 2004)

Dermot Ahern: The European eel is one of the truly indigenous freshwater fish species found in Ireland. It has been an integral part of life in rural communities for thousands of years. There is increasing scientific evidence presented at national and international levels of a serious and sustained decline in eel populations, not just in Ireland, but throughout Europe. At present the European eel stock is...