Results 441-460 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Order of Business. (1 Jun 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I am told, although I am not absolutely positive about this, that Judge Curtin has commenced proceedings this afternoon. I do not have any details about the nature of the litigation as no proceedings have been served. I have heard the same information as the Deputies. I reported last week that by letter on 21 May 2004 Judge Curtin's solicitors requested of me the opportunity to make...

Order of Business. (1 Jun 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The Bill is in preparation. I hope it will be in the House before the summer recess.

Order of Business. (1 Jun 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The intention is to continue with it.

Order of Business. (1 Jun 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The Whistleblowers Act 1999 exists. There have been several difficulties in bringing forward an Act. In the meantime, the Government has implemented whistleblowers' protection provisions in a number of important areas covered by the Competition Act, the Company Law Enforcement Act and the Protection of Persons Reporting Child Abuse legislation. Given the complexity in drafting a general...

Order of Business. (1 Jun 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The petroleum Bill will update the 1960 Act. There is very little work done on this. It consolidates all Acts over the past 44 years.

Order of Business. (1 Jun 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I expect it will be this year.

Written Answers — Departmental Audits: Departmental Audits (1 Jun 2004)

Bertie Ahern: Five reports have been finalised by the internal audit unit in my Department since January 200. Details of these reports are listed as follows: Number Title Date Finalised 1 The Service Provision of Advertising October 2002 2 Training and Development October 2002 3 Computer Equipment 2002 June 2003 4 State Entertainment 2002 August 2003 5 Courier Services: Value For...

Decentralisation Programme. (5 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 7, inclusive, together. There are no proposals to decentralise any part of my Department or any of the bodies under its aegis. As of 7 September last, 44 members of staff in my Department had applied through the central applications facility to relocate under the decentralisation programme. The breakdown by grade is assistant principal — six;...

Decentralisation Programme. (5 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I do not think it will have an adverse effect on Departments. The main criteria used to select Departments and agencies for decentralisation, which were obviously used when examining the case of my Department, were set out in the budget last year. The underlying principle of the programme was the continuity of effective public service delivery, and this was one of the factors taken into...

Decentralisation Programme. (5 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: While I abide by the Ceann Comhairle's ruling, may I say that under the criteria, a sizeable number of people, including a sizeable number in my Department, are to be located under the CAF. All issues of industrial relations, information and communications technology, the Civil Service in the aftermath of decentralisation — something which obviously affects my Department — property and...

Decentralisation Programme. (5 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I do not wish to repeat what I said in answer to Deputy Kenny. Criteria were taken into account and it was not a rushed decision for the last budget. Various tranches of decentralisation have happened over many years. A substantial amount of decentralisation took place when I was Minister for Finance some 12 years ago, affecting the Departments of Social Welfare and Justice, the Revenue...

Decentralisation Programme. (5 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte asked if there was any pulling back from the commitment to move 10,300 civil servants to 53 centres in 25 counties. The answer is "no". The Government is committed to doing that and is working with all the expertise on the implementation group and various people are helping in different areas to achieve that. I am sure the Minister responsible will answer questions on the...

Decentralisation Programme. (5 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: They are all running more efficiently than ever and from a constituency point of view we all know that. We also know it is far easier to access and make progress and get matters dealt with in these Departments than ever. Many of these Departments were in my own back yard and we could not get anything out of them.

Decentralisation Programme. (5 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The fact is that we did away with many of the inefficiencies. If a meeting is being held across Departments we do not need to pull people out of those Departments. Most businesses now use technology to do that on a daily basis, whether it is a meeting on-site or to talk to people in their offices in London, Chicago or wherever. It is normal practice in the world. It is not like the Cabinet...

Decentralisation Programme. (5 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I always regret people using these old-fashioned terms. They should try to modernise their thinking——

Decentralisation Programme. (5 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: Ed Walsh left Dublin like a rocket to get down to Limerick to develop his career, of which I reminded him, and he did it very well.

Decentralisation Programme. (5 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: Ed Walsh went to the trouble of talking on this issue and he kindly sent me a speech. He said we should assess and analyse all of these issues carefully and make decisions based on the criteria. Ed Walsh successfully moved to Limerick 25 years ago as he believed it was not necessary to centralise all third level education in just a few places. When he set up the national Higher Education...

Decentralisation Programme. (5 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: Yes, but he moved to Limerick on the basis of decentralisation when he could have gone to any third level institution in Galway, Cork or Dublin at that time. He is in favour of decentralisation, but he urges caution. That is why we asked him to examine areas such as IT, industrial relations and human resource issues, which he mentioned in his speech, and individual implementation plans. I...

Decentralisation Programme. (5 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I will try to answer a number of those questions while complying with the Ceann Comhairle's ruling. Phil Flynn who reports to the special Cabinet sub-committee chairs the implementation group responsible for driving forward the process. There has been no change in the composition of the sub-committee in terms of the Departments involved but different Ministers have come on board since the...

Decentralisation Programme. (5 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The best research is the practical knowledge that has been gleaned, based on the sizeable number of Departments and agencies that have moved to various locations around the country, from Donegal to Kerry, over the years. From that knowledge it is known where the demand is. Even before the budget of 2004 people were applying for relocation and that base is known. Many people would be surprised...