Results 501-520 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (12 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: A total of €3,043,973 has been spent by my Department on legal fees in the 12 month period from 1 October 2003 to 30 September 2004. This total is made up of legal fees in respect of the legal team of the Moriarty tribunal, €2,603,085, and the independent commission of inquiry, €440,887. No other payments have been made in respect of legal fees. An amount of €14,049 has been paid in a...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (12 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: A total of €150,473 has been spent by my Department on public relations fees in the 12-month period from 1 October 2003 to 30 September 2004. Fleischman Hilliard Saunders, who are retained by the Information Society Commission to provide PR services, received the highest amount. There were no payments made to the company named by the Deputy. In the same period, a total of €353,396 was...

Sustaining Progress. (19 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 14, inclusive, together. In June we successfully concluded an agreement on pay and workplace related issues to cover the second half of the lifetime of Sustaining Progress. The agreement provides for a general round of pay increases in the private sector totalling 5.5% over 18 months, with an additional 0.5% increase for workers earning less than €9 per...

Sustaining Progress. (19 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I did not refer to affordable housing because the Deputy put down three questions which did not mention it but I would be glad to answer.

Sustaining Progress. (19 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: Substantial progress has been made towards the target of 10,000 affordable houses outlined in Sustaining Progress — I mentioned the various initiatives. There are 59 projects planned on State and local authority lands. Together with a projected 2,100 affordable units under Part V, just short of a total of 8,900 housing units are projected to be delivered. These projects are being progressed...

Sustaining Progress. (19 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I certainly agree that the public should give its view, through whatever process. I am not sure whether that should be through social partnership that deals with initiatives or reform of what workers do, workers' rights and workers' legislation. I am not sure that it is the best pillar to do it. Perhaps there is ground for an input. However, consumer groups and the Consumers Association of...

Sustaining Progress. (19 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I am not sure the appointment of a statutory enforcer of views is the way to go. Matters work best in this country when there is voluntary dialogue between the respective bodies, whether employers, boards, workers or users through the consumers' association. To try to make that statutorily and legally enforceable would probably only bring resentment and people would begin fighting. It is...

Sustaining Progress. (19 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: Regarding the 10,000 affordable houses, some of these units are already under construction, although I readily accept there are not enough. The State must first seek the lands and must not interfere with the separate social housing programme on which a vast amount of money is being spent. In many cases the land given by the State must be properly serviced and must go through the formal...

Sustaining Progress. (19 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: A broad spectrum of housing needs must be met and the Government has actively responded by increasing the level of social and affordable housing. In the first four years of the national development plan, more than €5.2 billion was spent on social and affordable housing, which is ahead of the forecast. That helps those in the low income bracket. Under the full range of social and affordable...

Sustaining Progress. (19 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The reality is that the then Minister, Deputy Noel Dempsey, strongly supported by me, would have brought it to Part V and it would have gone through. The fact is that people were holding back and the output——

Sustaining Progress. (19 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: They got their way on a temporary basis to deal with what was then the difficulty, but Part V still comes into play. Most local authorities have informed me, although again I think they are too slow, that a number of initiatives under Part V are coming through and in future those planning applications which have not been used must, on re-application, comply with Part V rules. In the medium...

Sustaining Progress. (19 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The purpose is to provide affordable housing. I am not familiar with the scheme in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown but, obviously, it is based on the land value in the area. In another recent scheme in Ringsend, homes cost €120,000 or €130,000 and that is just a few miles from Dún Laoghaire. Clearly, the purpose is using State and local authority lands in a model that can speedily provide...

Sustaining Progress. (19 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: As I indicated earlier, sites for up to about 8,900 houses have now been identified and the group involved is still endeavouring to try to locate other sites from the State and its agencies. Obviously, the planning process will have to be gone through. The group has worked hard to find a model that will move this matter on. It has engaged actively with the CIF and the social partners. Part V...

Sustaining Progress. (19 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: To answer the last question first, the question of an allowance for teachers in disadvantaged schools is an educational matter, and I am aware there has been ongoing discussion about teachers in genuine disadvantaged areas. Deputy Allen asked about the number of houses. As I said in my reply, 2,100 Part V affordable units are now coming through the system. They are part of the 8,891, which is...

Sustaining Progress. (19 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: Including those under Part V. If they get enough estate land they will go well above their figure. The point is that it is not stopping. The idea is not to reach 9,000 or 10,000 and then stop but to continue. If we were to get all the sites, we would have well over 10,000, even if we exclude those under Part V. It is a question of the State agencies being able to release the land but they...

Sustaining Progress. (19 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The social partners have raised the issue of last year's changes in social welfare numerous times and in discussion have sought further changes. Much work has been done in this round of the social partnership discussions regarding educational disadvantage. The social partners have been involved in a long series of measures, details of which I can give to Deputy Finian McGrath if he would like...

Leaders' Questions. (19 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I acknowledge, as the Tánaiste did last week, the number of people in accident and emergency departments. The Government has been endeavouring over the summer to make a number of alterations to improve the situation, as we have done in recent times, by increasing the number of consultants and facilities, trying to improve facilities in accident and emergency departments and dealing with the...

Leaders' Questions. (19 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I am sorry Deputy Kenny thought my first answer did not deal with the issue. We have given the highest priority to emergency medicine departments. We have put in a large amount of resources — I will not rattle off the figures — to facilitate the discharge of patients who have completed their acute phases of treatment. Already, approximately 520 patients have been discharged and resources...

Leaders' Questions. (19 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: Let us not——

Leaders' Questions. (19 Oct 2004)

Bertie Ahern: There are 900 additional beds and——