Results 5,601-5,620 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte is dead right; people are concerned about the economy. They are heartened to see the country has had an annual growth rate of 6% and 7% over a series of years. They are heartened that employment continues to grow, taxes have been reduced, much resources have gone into building new hospitals and improving the education services at first, second and third level. They are...

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I am concerned about that too.

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I am not prepared to consider a report that makes blatant errors about the health service. As I have already said, the report states a general practitioner service does not exist. The survey asked whether a patient can have a same day service from their family doctor. To this the survey stated in Ireland it is a blanket "no". That is wrong. We have a GP service that will see patients on a...

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It is wrong for the survey to conclude that Ireland has a severe waiting lists problems. We do not have one.

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: We have made substantial progress.

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I wish to answer Deputy Rabbitte. In 1997 three quarters of adults waiting for cardiac surgery waited for well over a year. Deputy Rabbitte was at the Cabinet table when that was allowed to happen. Matters got worse in the period in which the Deputy was at the Cabinet table. The waiting time for coronary——

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Please let me answer Deputy Rabbitte.

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The waiting time for a coronary angiogram is now no more than two months. A total of 11% of people wait no more than a year for cardiac thoracic surgery and most patients wait for only a few months. The number of patients waiting for cancer treatment is also down. I accept there are problems and difficulties. I am aware we have problems with gangland killings in some areas where drug dealers...

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I commend the Garda for their daily successes in dealing with these issues. The Government is investing significant effort and resources in this area. I will not go into all the statistics of where that puts us internationally. We are working on these issues. I will not take it from Deputy Rabbitte that a Government I lead and colleagues and backbenchers who work extraordinarily hard are out...

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: This Government is determined to work to complete its mandate to continue to build a successful country. The Deputy may have an alternative strategy, but the only thing I know about the Mullingar strategy is that the Government has bypassed Mullingar in terms of roads and the people will do the same with the Deputy's policies.

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte had his Sunday outing last Sunday, which I was glad to see, but it showed the huge contradictions on the age of consent. Perhaps he will tell the people about some of these issues. In the meantime the Government will deal with party activities in a structured, organised way unlike the heavy-handed way the Deputy dealt with some issues in the past in terms of disciplining party...

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte referred to the Government being out of touch and at sixes and sevens, but he covered eight Departments in his questions. I am happy to reply to questions on any Department, as I do every day. The Deputy's attack on the policy of the former, distinguished member of the Labour Party, Barry Desmond, who introduced the hospital closure system, is uncalled for.

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: For those Members who were not around in the 1980s, they will remember the announcements that were made. I think that is uncalled for.

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I am pleased to see Deputy Rabbitte has changed his mind about the former leader of this party, Mr. Haughey.

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Health Service Executive signed a contract with KPMG-McCann Fitzgerald to administer the public long-stay charges repayment scheme. The contract sum is based on the number of repayments processed by the company and will be capped at €15 million, exclusive of VAT. The scheme will make repayments to approximately 20,000 patients and the estates of between 40,000 and 50,000 people who were...

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I should not answer questions relating to internal Government party issues but I assure Deputy Rabbitte that both my colleagues and those of the Tánaiste want to successfully implement policies — and continue to do so after the next election — that will ensure this country continues to thrive. This will be done through the creation of jobs, continued strong economic growth and the...

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte has covered six or seven areas. However, we will continue as we have done——

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: ——by providing resources to recruit more gardaí and more teachers. There are now 14,000 gardaí and 12,000 teachers. There is also an extensive programme of capital investment. I assure Deputy Rabbitte that we will continue to work with the same determination we have always shown. Deputy Rabbitte will continue in Opposition, as he has done for most of his political life, growling about...

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Mr. Positive.

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: With regard to our policies, I hope we will continue to take people out of consistent poverty. The Deputy asked what we will do for those who are less well-off and are in need of assistance. Although some 65,000 remain in consistent poverty, our policies have removed 250,000 from that category. This is a major achievement. The accident and emergency service is the one part of the health...