Results 3,941-3,960 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Order of Business. (7 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy should put a question to the Minister. Some of these issues did not come up previously, while some are old. It is best to put a question to the Minister.

Order of Business. (7 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: To the best of my knowledge, that is all that is provided for in the Bill. The Minister stated he would have it in approximately one month.

Order of Business. (7 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: What legislation?

Order of Business. (7 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I am not aware of either, so I will have to get a note for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (7 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: My Department did not engage public relations consultancy firms or individuals, media advisers or other non-established civil servants for the purpose of seeking advice either on behalf of myself or either of the Ministers of State in my Department in the period 2003 to 2005. My Department has, however, engaged public relations consultants within this period to promote specific issues or...

Written Answers — Commemorative Events: Commemorative Events (7 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The 150th Anniversary of the Great Famine was commemorated by the Government in 1995. I am satisfied that the famine is commemorated on an ongoing basis in many different ways, for example, in the Cobh Heritage Centre, in Rowan Gillespie's Famine Memorial at Custom House Quay and in many other localities. In addition, in the context of State and official visits to countries with large Irish...

Written Answers — National Disability Survey: National Disability Survey (7 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The national disability survey, NDS, will be undertaken by the Central Statistics Office, CSO, in September 2006. The sample for the survey will be selected on the basis of the responses to the two disability questions in the April 2006 census of population. The survey will broadly follow the definitions and principles outlined in the World Health Organisation's international classification...

Written Answers — Public Sector Employment: Public Sector Employment (7 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The CSO's quarterly release on public sector employment and earnings includes information on numbers employed and weekly average earnings. The information on numbers employed relates to all sectors within the public service, while the statistics on average weekly earnings are available for all sectors except health. Owing to the lack of suitably-structured and comparable earnings data across...

Leaders' Questions. (8 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: As I said in reply to Deputy Kenny previously, no one can be happy when anyone is killed on our roads. I agree that every road tragedy is a huge loss to a family, a community and a neighbourhood. The rise in road deaths figures over the recent period is a cause of huge regret. A range of measures is under way. I have been involved in a series of relevant meetings recently, and over the years....

Leaders' Questions. (8 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: We are the first Government to have a national safety strategy and most of the issues mentioned by Deputy Kenny in regard to training, young people receiving reports and gardaí visiting them all happen. I will go back over what is taking place because the Government is not sitting back. We are introducing measures to reduce driver test waiting times and we have made a critical contribution...

Leaders' Questions. (8 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Minister for Transport has announced a further 31 penalty point offences, which will bring the total number to 35. We are establishing a road safety authority and bringing forward a Bill to provide private speed cameras. Cameras must be properly located at accident black spots. A new system must be designed to save lives, not raise revenues. A point was made in this House in recent weeks...

Leaders' Questions. (8 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It will create problems and Members of this House will hear people giving out about it, as they already do about some of the new provisions. We will deal with that matter.

Leaders' Questions. (8 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: We have told the Garda to enforce in numbers and enforce the law. It will create its own difficulties but I agree we cannot allow a situation where 50 people have died in the first five or so weeks of this year.

Leaders' Questions. (8 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I appreciate Deputy Rabbitte's acknowledgement of my support for and knowledge of this group. Debts were cleared in the 1980s and the group was given a clean bill of health.

Leaders' Questions. (8 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: In the late 1980s and early 1990s it was given the go ahead to redevelop a number of their hotels. Subsequently it set up new hotels, including the Great Southern Hotel at the airport, which is now the flagship hotel. They were given permission to invest in the Derry and Cork hotels and to refurbish the Corrib, Eyre Square, Parknasilla and Killarney hotels. Despite these efforts the group has...

Leaders' Questions. (8 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Great Southern Hotels Group has had every opportunity over the past 20 years and support from various Governments to assist it. At a time when we have the highest number of tourists in the country, 6.5 million last year, the hotel group unfortunately lost between €7 million and €8 million. Accumulated losses amount to €40 million. The hotel at Dublin airport, which is coming under...

Leaders' Questions. (8 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Labour Party will realise that at the peak of tourism business, when there are more tourists than ever in the country, and a business is losing €8 million per year, with accumulated debts of €40 million, it cannot go on.

Leaders' Questions. (8 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The decision was taken by the board of the Great Southern Hotel Group.

Leaders' Questions. (8 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Dublin Airport Authority, which is doing a very good job, believes this is the correct decision.

Leaders' Questions. (8 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I hope most of these hotels will continue to be hotels as I have always thought they have much potential.