Results 3,761-3,780 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (25 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Civil Service posts at the levels of Assistant Secretary and Deputy Secretary are covered by a scheme of performance related awards. The operation of the scheme is overseen by the committee for performance awards. The funding for awards is based on 10% of the payroll for the posts covered by the scheme. Within this overall limit, payments of up to 20% can be made to individuals. The total...

Written Answers — Public Procurement: Public Procurement (25 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Existing procurement policies provide for procurement of the goods and services required by the Department in a manner which seeks to optimise the value for money of the purchases concerned and which is in accordance with public procurement guidelines as set out by the Department of Finance. There is a requirement to produce an annual corporate procurement plan as part of the national public...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (25 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The 2004 annual reports of the Law Reform Commission, the Office of the Attorney General and the Director of Public Prosecutions have been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. Under the NESDO Bill, the National Economic and Social Development Office, incorporating the National Economic and Social Council, the National Economic and Social Forum and the National Centre for Partnership and...

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (25 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The bodies and agencies under the aegis of my Department which are subject to FOI in respect of certain functions only are: the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Under section 46(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information Acts 1997 and 2003, the Act does not apply to a record relating to "a record held or created by the Attorney General or the...

Official Engagements. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 22, inclusive, together. I visited Budapest on 25 November for a meeting with Prime Minister Gyurcsany. At the meeting, we discussed issues on the EU agenda and, in particular, the negotiations on the financial perspectives for 2007 to 2013 and the development of Ireland's economic relations with Hungary. While I was in Hungary, I also launched the...

Official Engagements. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: On the financial perspectives, particularly the elements dealing with agriculture, the overall agreement was excellent from our point of view because we expect that, over the next period, our receipts will amount to about €14 billion, while our payments will be €13 billion. We will not become net contributors until the very end of the round, based on present projections, and we...

Official Engagements. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: They are linked. If a person is in receipt of the new payment, he must be in receipt of child benefit. Our figures were based on that. The numbers are not huge as of now but we must protect the position. We are talking about a small number of thousands. In child benefit cases, we would be talking about less than 2,000, while benefit might be double that. I was aware of this and discussed it...

Official Engagements. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: To briefly return to the other issue, it always matters how EU regulations are applied in different member states and how people handle them. It is a regular occurrence that EU regulations are administered slightly differently in different jurisdictions; they are curtailed in some ways and extended in other ways. We have always had an open position and we transpose EU directives far quicker...

Official Engagements. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I discussed those issues at the meeting I had on 9 December, not at the summit. As the Deputy will recall, the Prime Minister had very little information and was not able to cast much light on what was happening. Subsequently, with my ministerial colleagues, I discussed this matter with PSNI Chief Constable, Hugh Orde, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, discussed it...

Official Engagements. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: As I said last week, Dr. Rice stated that Irish airports were not used in any way related to these issues, for planes or people or anything else. She has been absolutely, categorically clear that Irish airports were not used. Her reply was re-stated through the Embassy last week. On the question of the Council of Europe investigation, it has made a number of recommendations and issued...

Official Engagements. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Different prime ministers expressed different views on the European constitution. The Government's position is that we made an agreement last year that we would have a period of reflection, which would come to a conclusion in the summer under the Austrian Presidency. We are abiding by that decision. As part of that process, other countries' governments are entitled to state their views about...

Official Engagements. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Yes, but I divided the questions and that will be in the second question.

Official Engagements. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: In reply to Deputy Joe Higgins, matters are moving along well. The socialists and the hard left around Europe are firm in their view in favour of a constitution. Most of them believe——

Official Engagements. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: ——as Deputy Joe Higgins does, that the original proposal I negotiated was the correct one and they are ready to support it. However, opinion on the right is more difficult and we must see how that works out. Nonetheless, I know the Deputy and I will be on the one side if there is a campaign on this issue. The nitrates directive——

Official Engagements. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: ——-was not discussed at the European Council. It was discussed at both the Environmental and the Agricultural Councils. I think the Deputy knows that Ireland has been way behind other member states in reaching agreement on this issue. I have given the House a clear picture as to what the United States has said. It was not based on the European issue. Other countries are concerned about...

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Under EU regulations migrants from EU member states working in Ireland whose dependent children are resident in their own country are entitled to claim child benefit here for children, either in full or as a top-up, if there is an equivalent payment but at a lower rate in their country of origin. That has been the position since 1971. This arrangement has been there for 36 years. Obviously,...

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: One does not have discretion in reciprocal arrangements but, in some cases, people administer their systems differently. As I said earlier, it is always good for us to know how people administer systems. Reciprocal arrangements are applied across Europe and regulation 1408/71 has been around for all those years. With regard to the figure, the Department of Social and Family Affairs states...

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: ——I would re-think it. I will explain why. I went through these arrangements and discussions at great length last year and sat in on all the meetings. The Deputy's vouched arrangement would automatically exclude women in the home and that is not very bright.

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Kenny should have another look at that. I do not consider the Deputy or his party racist.

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I did not hear the comment and I do not want to get into it.