Results 2,781-2,800 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Regulatory Reform. (19 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment will announce the composition and membership of the business regulation forum very shortly. Once the announcement is made, the forum will immediately become operational, all arrangements have been put in place. It is envisaged that the forum will advise the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment on regulatory issues as they impact on...

Regulatory Reform. (19 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I do not want to go into what the RIA means but there is a need for more competition in the domestic market in many areas because that will drive down costs to the advantage of consumers.

Regulatory Reform. (19 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: It is the cost base. With more competition, the cost base will improve. It will help everybody. The cost base of the country will help competitiveness, primarily consumers.

Regulatory Reform. (19 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: To give a fuller position on it, there are many issues where RIA comes into play, for example, significant negative impacts on national competitiveness or socially excluded or vulnerable groups, examination of significant environment change, significant policy change in an economic market will have a significant impact on competition and consumers, proposals that will disproportionately...

Regulatory Reform. (19 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Yes, but legislation, which Deputy Sargent mentioned, comes from Government and Departments, and so does the policy.

Regulatory Reform. (19 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The policy units lie in Departments, but it does not——

Regulatory Reform. (19 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I hope the Departments have a key role to play. I hope they have not given away all their powers.

Regulatory Reform. (19 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: A number of points were raised. For the reasons I have given, it was the view of the cross-departmental better regulation group that at this stage a super regulator was not the way to go. While that was the conclusion it reached for the reasons I have given, it was not entirely ruled out in that as new regulators came into play, they would be grouped where there was a suitable mix. Rather...

Regulatory Reform. (19 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The report on the legal profession is also on the way. There were eight reports in all and two or three final reports are coming forward. The senior person in the authority has moved, but most of the work was done before he left. These reports are to be finalised before the Christmas period.

Regulatory Reform. (19 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: It is not so much the reading that will be a challenge, but the implementation of the reports. We look forward to that because based on the interim reports, there will be some interesting challenges.

Regulatory Reform. (19 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The Department is the policy initiator. The point I was making is that the Department does not want to be involved in the day to day decisions, but policy direction should rest with the Department, not with the agency. If the Deputy asked should a Department give away all its powers of influence to a regulator, I do not think it should.

Regulatory Reform. (19 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy's argument is that the Minister's powers are gone and he does not have a say. With regard to either gas or electricity legislation, the policy work is still done within the Department but the regulator decides what movements are made in the market, for example, price increases and capital developments. The regulator makes those decisions but that does not take away from the role of...

Regulatory Reform. (19 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy is right. However, the initial policy in an area is devised by the Department. When a regulator issues a report, a Minister cannot change or direct that report, but he can set policy. The Deputy will say that this moves on into the regulator's report and he cannot change that. The regulator, however, cannot just go ahead and ignore the legislation or policy issued by the Department.

Order of Business. (19 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: It is proposed to take No. a11, motion re report of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges on definition of parliamentary activities; No. 16, statements on quarterly national household survey, second quarter 2005 and the annual population and migration estimates; No. 15, Land Bill 2004 [Seanad] — Order for Report, Report and Final Stages; No. 17, Adoptive Leave Bill 2004 [Seanad] —...

Order of Business. (19 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: On the first issue, the necessary legislation to provide for the establishment of the health information equality authority and the Irish social services inspectorate on a statutory basis will been included in the forthcoming health Bill, the heads of which are expected in approximately a month. The Bill has been given priority time for drafting. It will probably be taken in the House in...

Order of Business. (19 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I will raise the matter. Is the Deputy asking about the state of the electoral register?

Order of Business. (19 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: It is inaccurate.

Order of Business. (19 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I said it is inaccurate.

Order of Business. (19 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I do not know whether legislation is required.

Order of Business. (19 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I do.