Results 361-380 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Order of Business. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: There are rules to be followed and we cannot simply change them. However, I will try to arrange for a briefing.

Order of Business. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: On Deputy Sargent's point, I will make arrangements to ensure the work undertaken by the process is made available to him.

Order of Business. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: It will be introduced this session.

Order of Business. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: On Deputy Costello's point, I will try to arrange an early debate on the matter. On Deputy Ó Caoláin's point, the Oireachtas committee in its recommendations set out what we must discuss. It also emphasised that the matter is not as simple as indicated by Deputy Ó Caoláin.

Order of Business. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: As far as I am aware, no Supplementary Estimate will be introduced.

Order of Business. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: There is no proposed Bill relating to firearms. Work on the drug offenders Bill is at a preliminary stage. The Bill will provide for registration with the Garda of convicted drug dealers and for stiffer penalties for such offences. Work on the Bill is ongoing.

Order of Business. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The Bill will be published this session.

Order of Business. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: It is hoped the Education for Persons with Disabilities Bill will pass through both Houses before the end of this session. A few remaining aspects of that Bill are the subject of discussions with the disabilities group. It is hoped to conclude the Bill when agreement has been reached on those matters.

Order of Business. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: It is the medical practitioners Bill. I do not have a date for that Bill.

Written Answers — Dublin-Monaghan Bombings: Dublin-Monaghan Bombings (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I attended a wreath laying ceremony yesterday, the 30th anniversary of the bombings, and met many of the victims and their families. I acknowledge the dedication on Sunday in Monaghan of a memorial to the victims of the Monaghan bombing, which received considerable EU support. I met representatives of the Justice for the Forgotten group on 10 December last and reported to the House on that...

Northern Ireland Issues. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 8, inclusive, together. I met an SDLP delegation led by Mark Durkan on 30 April when we discussed a number of issues focusing particularly on the prospects for political progress in Northern Ireland. My discussions with Prime Minister Blair on Sunday, 2 May focused primarily on Northern Ireland but we also had an opportunity to discuss European matters....

Northern Ireland Issues. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: Obviously we will continue to try to build on the deal of last April and October. It did not change much, frankly, between April and October, as the basis of the arrangement was very much the same. Paragraph 13 referred to the end of paramilitarism in all its forms under the definition in that paragraph. As far as we are concerned that includes the effective ending of the IRA as an...

Northern Ireland Issues. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I accept Deputy Kenny would not have been briefed on all the matters. I do not think he would have been briefed on OTRs or the McCabe issues. I reiterate — I understand people can be uncomfortable with these issues — over the years in many of these circumstances I have had to give clearance at Christmas time and other times for the release of republican prisoners. The Christmas before the...

Northern Ireland Issues. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The Government has been assessing the republican movement. I may be wrong but I think even since last October, people are facing up to moving towards the end position. That will come to fruition only when matters are completed. The issues in the Joint Declaration, such as equality, policing and so on are very difficult. To answer Deputy Rabbitte's question, I think republican thinking is...

Northern Ireland Issues. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: A willingness.

Northern Ireland Issues. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The Independent Monitoring Commission has given its report and we have seen what it has said, including what it said about the ten killings last year, practically all of which were loyalist. There are issues. It is for me to give a fair position. There were a large number of events in Northern Ireland this weekend to which little or no attention was given. I will not give a blow-by-blow...

Northern Ireland Issues. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I could give an equally long answer. The answer to most of those issues is "yes". I have answered some of them already, in my reply to Deputy Rabbitte, about loyalist activities. I mentioned the SDLP because that incident happened this weekend. It is the latest in a series of issues which I have also mentioned. I would prefer to expend my energy in moving on. If we keep going back on these...

Northern Ireland Issues. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I will answer Deputy Ó Caoláin's question. If I had managed to convince the Prime Minister — the Deputy said I did not do so actively enough — to get things up and running just after Christmas it would have come back down again through the actions of people associated with the Deputy and his party.

Northern Ireland Issues. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: It would have done.

Northern Ireland Issues. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Ó Caoláin asked me a question but he did not like the answer.