Results 2,841-2,860 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Appointments to State Boards. (25 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: For once I can agree with Deputy Ó Caoláin. On the last occasion I appointed a Government nominee from Northern Ireland to the board of NESF, Eithne McLaughlin, from Queens University. I am open to making similar appointments to other boards where there are suitable candidates. There is a benefit in having an all Ireland representation, in regard to the implementation bodies and other...

Appointments to State Boards. (25 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: On that board there are only five members, one of whom is from Northern Ireland. Where there is expertise and where good people from Northern Ireland are prepared to serve on a board, I have no difficulty with that. It is an area I will look at as vacancies arise.

Code of Conduct. (25 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 8 together. The code of conduct for office holders as drawn up by the Government following extensive consultations with the Standards in Public Office Commission has applied since 3 July 2003. I have no plans to amend it.

Code of Conduct. (25 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: As the Deputy knows it would be difficult to police. If one were caught holding anything in one's hand one could be accused of promoting the brand. Somebody doing an opening could be asked to be photographed with something. I do not believe it is outside the code of conduct unless a Minister or Minister of State is seen to be pressing or lobbying for consumer ends.

Code of Conduct. (25 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: To be photographed at some stand or exhibition would be an impossible issue to hold against a Minister.

Code of Conduct. (25 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The code is set down. I have no plans to amend the code as it is only two years in operation. If the Standards in Public Office Commission were to make any points about amendments, obviously in due course we would need to look at that. It is a short period. I am not aware of the issue Deputies Kenny and Sargent have raised. It would be quite hard to police a situation where a Minister or a...

Code of Conduct. (25 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: A few weeks ago I attended the opening of the new $150 million Guinness expansion. If I am photographed with a pint of Guinness, which I do not drink, is that promoting Guinness?

Code of Conduct. (25 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I accept the point about ongoing promotion.

Leaders' Questions. (25 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Like Deputy Kenny, I have not read all 280 pages of the report. The Government discussed it for the first time this morning and at some length. The Ferns inquiry was set up some years ago to investigate the handling of the allegations of abuse. The report is a catalogue of serial abuse and gross dereliction of duties in the diocese of Ferns. It is shocking to everybody's sense of how our...

Leaders' Questions. (25 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The House knows we have passed the Protections for Persons Reporting Child Abuse Act, the Sex Offenders Act, the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act, the Children Act and the Protection of Children (Hague Convention) Act and established the Garda central vetting unit. However, we must also recognise other areas in which progress has been made. The gardaí in the diocese of Ferns have...

Leaders' Questions. (25 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: One recommendation is that the Oireachtas should consider creating a new criminal offence covering the failure to protect children from injury or sexual abuse. That recommendation must be accepted first. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform gave commitments on behalf of the Government regarding the Dublin diocese which still stand. In response to the Deputy's first question, I...

Leaders' Questions. (25 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Legislation was passed recently to allow for examination of the Dublin cases. We awaited this report as a template. Now that we have received it we can deal with that issue and ask the church authorities in every diocese to implement the 1996 standards and these recommendations. The Deputy may not agree when he reads the full report — I have not read it all — but I do not think there are...

Leaders' Questions. (25 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I accept that in regard to the Monageer case. I am not arguing about that point, wherever there are deficiencies we must deal with them. The priority is to ensure that the standards established almost a decade ago are being implemented. That was not the case, the guidelines of 1996 were not fully implemented. We need to clarify the position and ensure people will co-operate with these...

Leaders' Questions. (25 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The Minister has spent much time in recent months and throughout the year working with management and trade unions at An Post. Late last week he had a detailed, protracted meeting with the unions in order to help, and he has made a huge commitment to bringing both sides together so An Post can resolve its difficulties and make its modernisation plans work effectively. In that way it can...

Leaders' Questions. (25 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: That is not the issue currently causing difficulty in the trade union movement. The Deputy is ill-informed.

Leaders' Questions. (25 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: There are issues in An Post creating difficulties for quite a considerable time. They have been examined at great length by the Minister, the Labour Court conciliation service, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and affiliate unions in order to advance matters. The Minister spent a long time last week addressing these issues. The Labour Court is involved in addressing the issues and though it...

Order of Business. (25 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: It is proposed to take No. 9, motion re ministerial rota for Parliamentary Questions; No. 10, motion re statement of expenditure for Houses of the Oireachtas; No. 11, motion re referral of Social Welfare Consolidation Bill 2005 to Standing Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills; No. 15, statements on the Lisbon National Reform Programme; and No. 16, Employment Permits Bill 2005 — Second...

Order of Business. (25 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Debate on the Book of Estimates will take place later next month and the points could be made then because the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission will be included in that.

Order of Business. (25 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The heads of the defamation Bill were cleared by the Government during the summer and it is hoped to have it completed by Christmas and before the House in the next session. The press council proposals are within that legislation. On the HSE issue, questions that were previously referred to the health boards are now referred to the HSE. Policies are dealt with by the Department but day-to-day...

Order of Business. (25 Oct 2005)

Bertie Ahern: As of now, fireworks are illegal and there is no legislation to deal with——