Results 3,441-3,460 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Social Partnership Agreements. (6 Dec 2005)

Bertie Ahern: People on the minimum wage when it was half of what it is today were paying tax.

Social Partnership Agreements. (6 Dec 2005)

Bertie Ahern: That was not an equitable system.

Leaders' Questions. (6 Dec 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The new system for management control of information and communications technology, ICT, projects in Departments was announced by the Government in October to ensure such projects are managed to best practice standards. As part of that process, the Department of Finance has just introduced a peer review for these projects. Three such projects have been selected to commence immediately on that...

Leaders' Questions. (6 Dec 2005)

Bertie Ahern: A review group has been established to review the delivery of PPARS, as Deputy Kenny is aware, so that it meets the requirements of the Health Service Executive. The work of the review group, which is ongoing, will involve trying to determine the most cost-effective and efficient option for the HSE and evaluating the resource and the schedules in it. The estimate of €35 million that was...

Leaders' Questions. (6 Dec 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I do not have any facts about the individual company. I am aware that all the contracts in this regard are being examined. All the records of how and where things were done will be considered to ascertain whether the money was dealt with appropriately. That will be included in the report I have mentioned and also in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General. The latter report, work on...

Leaders' Questions. (6 Dec 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I appreciate the Deputy's remarks. All the PPARS contracts are being examined as part of the Comptroller and Auditor General's investigation. I understand there was a procurement mechanism and the staff in question were working. The issues which are under investigation include ascertaining who the beneficial owners of the companies were, to whom the moneys were paid and how the structures...

Leaders' Questions. (6 Dec 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I remind the House that a recent resolution passed by the United Nations, which has agreed a number of resolutions, gave a full sanction to the mission that is taking place in Iraq. Such approval has been included in a number of UN resolutions. Deputy Rabbitte is correct in that there have been considerable issues about this matter in a number of European countries and here in recent weeks....

Leaders' Questions. (6 Dec 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I am aware what the responsibilities are in accordance with the 1944 Chicago Convention on international civil aviation. Aircraft may come into Ireland for refuelling stops without notifying the Department of Transport. No notification of these aircraft can be dealt with. There is the Air Service Authorisation Order 1993. I repeat what I said earlier, it has been made clear that the State...

Leaders' Questions. (6 Dec 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Any request to land an aircraft engaged in extraordinary rendition must be refused. We raised the matter repeatedly, including at the very highest level, as late as last week with the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, and she again stated the position. She was well aware that the Minister would raise the matter and had plenty of time to check her facts. She said that this country has...

Leaders' Questions. (6 Dec 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Under international law that does not happen on military or civilian flights run under the ambit of the military.

Leaders' Questions. (6 Dec 2005)

Bertie Ahern: A convention and a precedent have covered this for 50 years and we have followed them. While there is concern about these issues — I, like everybody else, will be very interested to hear what the US Secretary of State has to say on the broader issues tonight, including some of the questions raised by the former president, Mrs. Robinson, whom I also hold in high regard in the ambit of human...

Leaders' Questions. (6 Dec 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I am sure the Minister is well aware of the circumstances. We have completely transformed this area of Irish law and administration to meet all our international obligations. We will continue to address the challenges of migration management on an ongoing basis including tackling illegal immigration. We are putting a huge amount of resources into the provision of accommodation and into a...

Leaders' Questions. (6 Dec 2005)

Bertie Ahern: As I have stated, our system is extremely transparent and is open to appeal. In September the head of the UNHCR publicly congratulated us in New York on our system at the summit meeting and said it was extremely fair. That system takes into account and makes provision for people who have suffered torture or are suspected to have suffered torture or to have had their rights infringed. Our...

Order of Business. (6 Dec 2005)

Bertie Ahern: It is proposed to take No. 9, motion re referral to joint committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the terms of the agreements between the Government of Ireland and the Governments of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Republic of Cyprus and the Republic of Poland on co-operation in combating organised crime; No. 10, motion re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Double Taxation...

Order of Business. (6 Dec 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The Patents (Amendment) Bill 1999 passed Second Stage in the Dáil in November 2000. Committee Stage has yet to be taken. The primary purpose of the Bill was to give effect to certain provisions of the World Trade Organisation, WTO, agreement on trade related aspects of intellectual property, known as the TRIPs agreement. Since the Bill was initiated, a number of other international...

Order of Business. (6 Dec 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I accept the point. To be honest, I do not understand why Bills sit around for six years. Having said that, this Bill has been in existence——

Order of Business. (6 Dec 2005)

Bertie Ahern: No, but perhaps, if necessary, more time can be given to it. All these issues are enhancements based on new intellectual property rights, some of which date from November 2000, others from summer 2001 and others from 2002. I know it is often better to introduce a new Bill. Unfortunately, that process takes an age.

Order of Business. (6 Dec 2005)

Bertie Ahern: On Deputy Ó Caoláin's point, this issue was discussed at the committee and it has been returned to the Chamber for decision.

Order of Business. (6 Dec 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The motion before the House is to defer the date of the fisheries boards elections, which is 20 December, and to extend the tenure of the present boards for 12 months. As the Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Gallagher, stated, we have no difficulty with having a debate on the new structures. The boards needed to be restructured and a...

Order of Business. (6 Dec 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Second Stage of the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Bill is to be completed next week and it will go on to Committee Stage during the whole of January. It can be debated in the select committee during the Dáil recess in January, which I understood was agreed. The draft report of Advantica will be published on Thursday and will be made available to local people. I will arrange to make...