Results 4,941-4,960 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Order of Business. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The legislation is listed for next year.

Order of Business. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It is just not ready.

Order of Business. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It will be this session.

Order of Business. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I have tried to support Deputy Stagg in this effort. I am aware he has engaged in a lot of campaigning on this legislation and the technical issue that is involved. I have asked about bringing forward the legislation but there are also some issues around the technical requirements in terms of how they can do that. I understand that is being discussed. As soon as I get an answer I will write...

Order of Business. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Comhairle (Amendment) Bill has been published and is ordered for Second Stage.

Order of Business. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Not that I am aware of. My note indicates that the Bill has been published and it is ordered for Second Stage. It is a matter to be taken up with the Minister.

Order of Business. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I have no information on it.

Order of Business. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The two Bills the Deputy is inquiring about are due this session. I understand the Whip put out the priority list in a schedule. We cover approximately 40 or 50 Bills a year and we have put out the legislation for the remainder of this year.

Written Answers — Environmental Assessments: Environmental Assessments (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Neither my Department nor any of the Bodies under its aegis have been identified as requiring strategy environmental assessments under the European Communities (Environmental Assessment of Certain Plans and Programmes) Regulations 2004.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: To assist the business needs of the various Divisions, especially policy Divisions, national daily newspapers are made available to a range of Departmental staff as set out in the table. Grade No. of Staff No. of daily papers 1 2 3 Assistant Secretary and Higher 6 3 3 — Director, Principal, Assistant Principal 36 31 5 — Higher Executive...

Centenarian Bounty. (9 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1a to 4a, inclusive, together. On 28 March the Government approved in principle the extension of the scheme for the payment of the centenarians' bounty. Subsequently, on 25 April, the Government approved the arrangements for its operation on foot of recommendations by an interdepartmental working group. Up to now, the bounty was payable only to centenarians...

Centenarian Bounty. (9 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: In the first part of the Deputy's question, I believe that he quotes a previous statement, but he also quotes from what I said today. "The centenarians' bounty is not just a practical gesture, it is also a token of regard. It is appropriate therefore that this regard should be extended equally to Irish people wherever they are in the world." I have repeated what I said previously. The answer...

Centenarian Bounty. (9 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Yes, and into the future. It applies to every eligible Irish person, no matter when he or she was born. There is provision in the scheme whereby someone born before 1906 who did not apply previously can do so retrospectively. Anyone alive today who was born before that date is entitled to apply.

Centenarian Bounty. (9 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It did not apply previously, since the scheme was far more limited. However, legal advice that I had requested and taking into account the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 2001 is that any person born on the island of Ireland before the commencement of that Act is entitled to this as an Irish citizen and that only an Irish citizen is entitled. The view was that the provisions should...

Centenarian Bounty. (9 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: On the general point that Deputy Rabbitte has raised, over the life of this Government, with no urgings from anybody, we have made a large number of decisions that have helped emigrants, including helping local authorities with housing, dealing with many aspects of health, improving the DION grants, establishing the consular service in the United States to fund organisations that we...

Centenarian Bounty. (9 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: God knows. Only 141 bounties, however, were paid in 2005. Whatever the figure, on that basis we lost close to 450 or 460 of the centenarians. There are Irish people who did not receive the bounty so it is worth making an effort to find them. This corrects a matter that elderly people considered unreasonable.

Centenarian Bounty. (9 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It is.

Centenarian Bounty. (9 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The embassies and consular service must follow up on the proof of birth in Ireland. It is not just a matter of making an application, the candidates must prove they were born here. We are probably lucky in this country to have some of the best records available, including parish records of all the denominations that were active around the country then. The candidates must verify age, place of...

Centenarian Bounty. (9 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: As I have stated three times, persons must have been born in Ireland but can be resident anywhere on their 100th birthday. They must be Irish citizens who were born in Ireland and be able to prove they were born anywhere on the island of Ireland.

Centenarian Bounty. (9 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It will apply to anyone born on the island of Ireland. It is not for somebody who arrives here at age 98 and claims to be 100.