Results 4,321-4,340 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Active Citizenship. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I would not want the Deputy to worry about pressure because you only get worse when you concern yourself with these things.

Active Citizenship. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: One should try to find solutions, think positively, think of the glass as being half full, and move forward.

Active Citizenship. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: One gets irritable and cranky, cannot think of anything positive and dies prematurely when one gets oneself into that position, so the Deputy should not be agitating himself like that.

Active Citizenship. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: He should think of all the positive things that happen in society and how he can make them better.

Active Citizenship. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: We are trying to foster the spirit of activism such that people will volunteer some of their time, be it to the scouts, junior schoolboy football, the Irish Girl Guides or any other activity. The ESRI report issued before Christmas showed that 400,000 people in Ireland are actively engaged in this regard. It happens that as a country becomes more prosperous — this happens in every country...

Active Citizenship. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Yes, and she is highly successful. We tried to recruit from the big organisations people who have been involved in this area. We have spoken to all the chosen individuals and are awaiting their responses, which we should receive within a matter of days. I hope they will get on with the work over the period of their remit.

Active Citizenship. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I would not rule out any of the things suggested by Deputy Rabbitte. When I was in school in the 1960s, before they changed the curriculum, I attended civics lessons for 40 minutes each week. It was a good idea to teach young people about such matters.

Active Citizenship. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: That happened a little later.

Active Citizenship. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: In fairness, I should give credit to Home Farm football club for helping me to learn about these matters. I would be lifted out of it if I was two minutes late for voluntary training. It is important to encourage scouting, football and other sports.

Active Citizenship. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I think one learns lessons about citizenship by participating in such activities. If one is on the road firing rocks and causing trouble——

Active Citizenship. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It is interesting that everyone is getting excited about the activities of one weekend, given that many hoodlums are involved in such activities every weekend. I do not intend to roll it out in the education sector. Many things are being done to encourage volunteerism. Students are participating in such activities as part of the second level transition year programme. Steps are also being...

Cabinet Committees. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 to 15, inclusive, together. The Cabinet sub-committee on social inclusion last met on 1 February 2006. The sub-committee's next meeting is scheduled to take place on 5 April next. I generally attend meetings of the Cabinet sub-committees on housing; infrastructure and public private partnerships; health; European affairs; science and technology; and...

Cabinet Committees. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I will respond to the points made by the Deputy at the start of his contribution. As I have said previously, there is nothing to stop Deputies from tabling questions as we used to do. The only difference is that in the last Dáil, I did not take up the full 90 minutes available to me for oral questions during the week — the relevant Minister would come in before that time had elapsed —...

Cabinet Committees. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I take up all the time available to me.

Cabinet Committees. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: All the issues relating to drugs and the relevant groups are dealt with by the sub-committee, which meets all the relevant interests regularly.

Cabinet Committees. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: That changes too.

Cabinet Committees. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It is pointless tabling a question such as this and we have just agreed that is the case. I cannot add to it. It is just a case of having a question on the Order Paper. The relevant Ministers are the Minister for Education and Science, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, the Minister for Finance, the Minister for the...

Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: On behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party and on my own behalf, I extend my sympathies to Deputy Kenny and the Fine Gael Party, to the members of the McMahon family with us today and to those who are not. I knew Larry McMahon well from his days in the House but I got to know him and his brother in the 1960s when my sister and brother-in-law were farming in Piperstown in Bohernabreena up in the...

Order of Business. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It is proposed to take No. 22, Competition (Amendment) Bill 2005 [Seanad] — Order for Report, Report and Final Stages; and No. 23 — statements on further and higher education, to be taken following the announcement of Matters on the Adjournment under Standing Order 21 and the order shall not resume thereafter. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that the...

Order of Business. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The nursing homes legislation is due this session. The hospital Bill will be ready in the summer and will be taken in the autumn session. We do not have a date for the legislation relating to the register of persons who are considered unsafe to work with children. The Departments of Education and Science and Health and Children have been in discussions about the establishment of...