Results 381-400 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Northern Ireland Issues. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I am sorry. I apologise.

Northern Ireland Issues. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The Government continues at every level to make progress on the issue of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. I have raised this again with the Prime Minister and will try to make as much progress as possible on this. He is aware of the recommendations of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights, which I support. We must see what progress we can achieve on...

Northern Ireland Issues. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The SDLP plan for the restoration of the Assembly, the North-South ministerial bodies and the British-Irish Council through the appointment of an administrative panel to run the Departments is being raised in the review. The party will pursue it further when the discussions resume. There are several other constructive suggestions and proposals. Every party has put forward comprehensive...

Northern Ireland Issues. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I answered questions on this issue the week before last. As I said in my earlier reply, we discussed Northern Ireland and European matters at this meeting. We did not discuss Iraq, but when I previously answered questions on this matter I stated that we formally and officially condemned and signalled our outrage at what had happened in the prisons to the UK and US authorities. The Deputy...

Leaders' Questions. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I will take the last question first. Yes, I can give that confirmation. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform feels the comments he made were not taken in context. The Tánaiste made it clear today that there will not be any compensation. On Deputy Kenny's first question, last Tuesday I indicated my intention to propose a motion or motions today regarding Judge Curtin in the...

Leaders' Questions. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: In reply to the first question, the letter refers to the present state of health of Judge Curtin. That letter and all the correspondence will be given to the House before any vote on this issue. The issue is about the solicitors being allowed to give their views on the process that will be adopted. The procedure is that I have given until 2.30 p.m. on next Monday afternoon to receive...

Leaders' Questions. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: There is nothing to suggest the Minister made any inquiries or received any representations on the appointment of Judge Curtin. Judge Curtin was one of a list of persons approved for appointment to a vacancy in the Circuit Court by the judicial appointments advisory committee. At the time of Judge Curtin's appointment, the Minister, who was then the Attorney General, was aware of no matter...

Leaders' Questions. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: In response to the question regarding the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, an issue which Deputy Kenny raised with me, I stated that there was no foundation to the suggestion that the Minister made any inquiries or received any representation on the appointment of Judge Curtin. I have outlined the procedure. Mr. Brian Curtin was recommended for a vacancy which he was later...

Leaders' Questions. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The Attorney General has given his views on what would be considered as incapacity. The Deputy is correct that the letter mentions the state of health of Judge Curtin, but it gives no evidence. The Attorney General has given his view that there would have to be evidence of incapacity and it could not be taken in a general form. There is no sustainable medical case. Whether that will come...

Leaders' Questions. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: They are hypothetical issues. I do not claim to be either a legal or medical expert but it could be of a short duration which would hardly be what the Constitution regarded as a permanent incapacity. One could argue either way and I do not think the solicitor has argued it in a way that shows the ultimate argument. That will be brought forward in due course. The Deputy asked me another question.

Leaders' Questions. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The Oireachtas must conduct its own examination. There are legal issues involved and the Deputy will appreciate that, in my position, I have heard of some of the issues but am precluded from referring to them. The Deputy is correct that I was asked about these issues, but I refused to give the evidence to my party or to the media. If I were to be asked as a lay person whether substantial...

Leaders' Questions. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: Yes.

Leaders' Questions. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The report on the communication process undertaken following the Government's decision on health service reform was published last November and I gave all the details on this issue. At that stage, we were requested to broaden the team and the scope and to listen to the concerns. The case was made that in the evening, it would be a nurse-led service and the demand was for a medical-led...

Leaders' Questions. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: ——or perhaps in other parts of the country. However, that does not take away from what has been done for cancer services and, in recent years, we have spent money on them and have resourced them by providing staff, equipment and beds. In regard to oncology services, somewhere of the order of €550 million has gone into building on the cancer strategy and providing the necessary...

Leaders' Questions. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The radiotherapy report has been published and the Minister has stated his position. I hope that in the coming years, improvements made in the last decade will continue because there is a much better service. The more resources that can be invested, the more it will improve in time to come. This year an additional €15 million or so has gone into improving the service on top of the base that...

Leaders' Questions. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: Instead of a nurse, there would be a doctor. That is what is means. That is why it is not easy to understand.

Leaders' Questions. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy is confused as between a nurse and a doctor.

Leaders' Questions. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: That is what we stated. We listened to the case and responded to it.

Leaders' Questions. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: We said that we would provide a medical service in local hospitals, and that was the change we made.

Order of Business. (25 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The Order of Business today shall be No. 8, motion re referral to joint committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of a Council framework decision on attacks against information systems; No. 9, motion re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation 1988; No. 10, motion re ministerial rota for...