Results 2,461-2,480 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Written Answers — Dublin-Monaghan Bombings: Dublin-Monaghan Bombings (28 Sep 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I met Prime Minister Blair at the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference on 27 June. A number of issues were raised, including the issue of co-operation of the British authorities with the Barron inquiry into the Dublin and Monaghan Bombings. I have sought preliminary advice from the Attorney General on this matter. That advice is currently in preparation. Contacts with the British...

Written Answers — Departmental Contracts: Departmental Contracts (28 Sep 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The following table details suppliers who secured a written contract over the value of €100,000 with my Department in each of the past five years. Administration Year Supplier 2001 PA Consulting Group 2002 Oracle 2002-to date In.Vision Research Ltd 2004 Langley Freeman Design Group Ltd 2005 Boyd Freeman Design Bodies under the aegis of Department of the Taoiseach. ...

Written Answers — Publication of Report: Publication of Report (28 Sep 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Mr. Justice Barron's third report relates specifically to the murder of Seamus Ludlow and it was presented to the Government last year. The Government would wish to publish the report to the greatest extent possible in the form that it was received from Mr. Justice Barron. In that context, certain aspects of the report have required careful consideration and were the subject of legal advice,...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (28 Sep 2005)

Bertie Ahern: In the context of Acts enacted during the lifetime of the current Government, the Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Act 2005 which was enacted on 9 July 2005 is the only Act for which my Department has yet to arrange the commencement of a specific provision. The Act comes mainly under the Department of Finance and is the subject of a separate reply from the Minister for Finance. Part 9,...

Written Answers — Murder Inquiry: Murder Inquiry (28 Sep 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I met the family of the late Mr. Joseph Rafferty on Tuesday, 27 September. I expressed the Government's sympathies on their tragic loss, along with the hope that the person or persons involved would be brought to justice at the earliest possible time. I confirmed to the family that I had raised the shooting of Mr. Rafferty during my meeting with the leadership of Sinn Féin on Friday, 23...

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 35, inclusive, together. When the Government met the Sinn Féin leadership in January, we made it clear that there needed to be an end to all paramilitary and criminal activity and IRA decommissioning had to be completed. This was essential if there was to be any real prospect of re-establishing momentum in the peace process and ensuring the full...

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: General de Chastelain's full team from the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning was present during the meeting I had with him last week. At that meeting, he reiterated what is in his statement — that he is quite satisfied about all of the decommissioning issues and that the decommissioning is in line with the estimates given by security sources. It was not the Government...

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: We receive continual updates on the Northern Bank robbery. It is being intensely investigated and very senior members of the Garda Síochána are involved in that. It is a complex matter. Without getting into detail, the Garda is getting on with it. The effort has focused on the money trail and this continues to be the case. The matter is complicated so I will say no more. However, it is...

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I thank the Deputy for his opening remarks about everybody who has been involved. Fr. Alex Reid and Rev. Good are people of the highest integrity and credibility and I hope people take note of what they said. There is a growing view that perhaps people will take note and that they will understand the job they have done and the assistance they have given. My colleague, the Minister for Foreign...

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: We cannot be sure what loyalists may do in the future. However, in every way possible we will keep the contacts we have established. We have some and we will not overstate that, but we try to keep lines of communications open. Some relatively good contacts have been built up, including recently. Precisely what way the loyalists will go is a matter to leave for some time. There is a debate as...

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: On the arms issues, the only report is that the totality of the arms have been given up. This was confirmed to me when I met General John de Chastelain and his colleagues last week. There are no other arms and that is the position. No understandings exist on the part of anyone about any arms being held back. I have no information on the source of that assertion. It was certainly not General...

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The Garda will deal with that.

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: It must be proved.

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I have spoken to them, but knowing and believing something and proving it are entirely different things.

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I already raised it at the last meeting, along with some other points. I already stated in a reply to Deputy Kenny 20 minutes ago that the same name continually comes up in all discussions on this case. I also stated that there are associates whose names are mentioned as well. There are a number of issues which the family have asked me to raise, but we have already raised that particular...

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: They do but I do not accept that. If we talk to Sinn Féin to use its influence to get the IRA to decommission its guns, there is not much point in talking to the SDLP about it. If the DUP has a particular problem, then we talk to the DUP about it. We could not move on in many of these meetings, we had to deal with issues such as decommissioning and criminality, so there was more time spent...

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The effort now will be to work towards getting successful IMC reports. We have got the IICD reports and the IRA statement, so now the effort will be to try to deal with the issues around restoring the institutions, policing and stability in the institutions. We must try to have satisfactory arrangements so that people will be confident that if we get things up and running they will stay up,...

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: It was always the understanding that two years should be the end point. If it can happen more quickly, that would be welcome but a good start has been made. We have seen a substantial number of towers come down.

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: In the absence of any violence or threat, the British Government will be open to move more quickly. We will certainly endeavour to get it to do that. The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Brennan, reiterated what I said in a recent speech in Cavan. I obviously agree with what he said as he repeated what I said. I agree with a number of other colleagues who also said it. That is...

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The issue of decommissioning on the side about which Deputy Morgan has to worry has finished so we will move on to other areas now.