Results 2,621-2,640 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Leaders' Questions. (12 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The cost of the e-Cabinet project, which was projected to cost €5 million up to the end of last year, was €3.489 million. Civil servants did most of the work on this as additional work, which they did extremely well and kept down the costs. All civil servants can link and feed in to the e-Cabinet system; it is not a system for only 15 of us, it is for the Civil Service to remove the paper...

Leaders' Questions. (12 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Unfortunately the HSE did not ask them, that is why we are asking them now.

Leaders' Questions. (12 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The cross-departmental agency will bring the best of the public service expertise to bear on all agencies. It will be supplemented where necessary by the external expertise of the private sector and internationally. That would be a case of asking somebody in the private sector to give of his or her time and expertise to assist us.

Leaders' Questions. (12 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: That is a good way of proceeding. One does not need another consultancy firm to do this. On Deputy Rabbitte's last point about what will happen next, the Comptroller and Auditor General is preparing his report and the HSE decided last week to have a comprehensive review at its meeting on 2 December. When the Government receives that report it will decide what else it should do. We should wait...

Leaders' Questions. (12 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I have answered that already and will repeat my replies. I have already said to Deputy Rabbitte that the judgment can be made only when we have a full report on what precisely happened between 2001 and 2005 regarding the HSE contract. I cannot make a judgment on that now; it would be unwise to do so.

Leaders' Questions. (12 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I presume I will be unable to convince Deputy Rabbitte one way or the other, but yesterday he said we were introducing a system of consultant upon consultant. Today I explained that is not what is envisaged. Rather, we use people with expertise, although Deputy Rabbitte uses the term "favoured businessperson". Were he not trying to argue a political point, the Deputy would see that the...

Leaders' Questions. (12 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: We have been trying for many years, in most areas, successfully, to have proper guidelines in place that are operated carefully and that Accounting Officers, Ministers and officials try to implement. At times, such as when the roll-out of Revenue was carried out, when the payment system for Revenue was changed, and when agricultural issues such as payments to farmers were addressed, it was...

Leaders' Questions. (12 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte asked if there were other contracts. Obviously, I mentioned that question would be examined in the review. Regarding taking action against Deloitte & Touche or anyone else, we must base our decision on the report's findings and whether they simply continued based on the contract they were given, which was too open-ended. We have closed down such business in the infrastructural...

Leaders' Questions. (12 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Many others are actively involved in projects. They are doing a good job, and we should not try to tar everyone as having made a mess of things, since that is not correct.

Leaders' Questions. (12 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy will appreciate that in most instances where money has been spent to try to improve systems, it is because they are not effective and need to be enhanced. PPARS and other projects were aimed at integrating systems to make them more efficient and so we have more timely information and can provide a better service to the public. That is the reasoning behind them. Regarding the...

Leaders' Questions. (12 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy is aware that the Children First national guidelines for the protection and welfare of children are being implemented nationally. This is a scheme to help those who suffer disadvantage and those on the margins, right across the range of services. The National Children's Office and the various Departments are actively engaged in meeting the needs and requirements of children. This...

Constitutional Amendments. (12 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together. There are no specific plans to hold referenda during the lifetime of the 29th Dáil. The Government remains committed to ratifying the EU constitution. However, following the discussion at the European Council, we will not at this stage set a date for the referendum or progress the referendum Bill. We will, however, continue to...

Constitutional Amendments. (12 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I will give my views and those expressed by leaders in other member states. All participants at the European Council agreed the constitution remains a valid response to the concerns of citizens and the best available compromise. We have given ourselves time to reflect on this difficult situation. Some 13 or 14 countries have now ratified the constitution, comprising a majority of member...

Constitutional Amendments. (12 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: There is no referendum envisaged at this stage. Perhaps some urgent issue may arise but none is envisaged. Based on the recommendations of the all-party committee we have a good record. We have dealt with the issue of abolition of reference to the death penalty, the issue of judicial oversight was not passed, the abortion issues, local government recognition, the constitutional amendment and...

Constitutional Amendments. (12 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Work is continuing on Seanad reform. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, has been liaising with the Leaders in the Seanad and it is intended to bring forward a report, as I understand it, based on the initial report and the hearings that took place in the Seanad two summers ago. On the disabilities issue, we have the legislation and have made our...

Constitutional Amendments. (12 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I am on the record as having said that I am against that idea. I do not agree that the age limit should be 18 years. The European constitution contains an article and protocol on structural co-operation in defence. Under the arrangements, member states could choose to enter into binding commitments on the provision of military capabilities to be used in undertaking the more demanding tasks of...

Constitutional Amendments. (12 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Let us be fair.

Constitutional Amendments. (12 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: It is important for us to publish a detailed White Paper on this issue, which has been raised repeatedly in the House, and we will do so. As I told Deputy Kenny earlier, there is a period of reflection pending a decision next summer on what will happen. At this stage, I do not see the French or the Dutch being able to make a decision in that regard. The French, in particular, will not make...

Constitutional Amendments. (12 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: No. Nice was not about that.

Constitutional Amendments. (12 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Nice made a few changes on the side just to get us to deal with the larger Union, but it has not dealt fundamentally with the role that Europe plays today. Europe cannot continue like that. By the end of this decade, the European Union will comprise 30 countries. Whether people like it or not, they will have to introduce structures to deal with such a Union in future, otherwise Europe will...