Results 5,861-5,880 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Written Answers — Information Technology: Information Technology (4 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: My Department complies with guidance on the procurement of supplies and services as set out in the "Public Procurement Guidelines — Competitive Process" issued in 2004. These guidelines set out the steps to be followed in conducting an appropriate competitive process under EU and national rules. During the evaluation and selection process itself, weighting is given to categories, defined in...

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I agree with Deputy Kenny and congratulate the Minister for Finance on an outstanding result in the six month figures. By any standard, these are good figures. They consistently follow what this Government has been doing in soundly managing the economy through excellent fiscal policies. Yesterday's figures show that an Exchequer surplus of €880 million was recorded in the second quarter of...

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: That is against a debt to GDP ratio of under 20%, the second lowest in Europe and one of the lowest in the OECD countries. If that is netted against the €16 billion we have saved in the National Pensions Reserve Fund, which the Deputy supports, we have one of the lowest ratios of all. If taxes come in as we think likely and expenditure comes in on target and there are no surprises, we will...

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: There is a strong economy because this Government has worked with the people to make it so. There are 600,000 more people working.

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The population has increased by 14% so 2 million people are on the road every day and that creates difficulties. We prefer that there are more people on the roads. We export €150 billion of goods that cannot get from Ireland to other countries without transport.

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: We have built up huge industries across a range of areas and have high growth. I am glad to see Deputy Kenny acknowledging the strength of the economy. Most of his party opposes our policies and votes against them and our budget strategy but we are building record numbers of homes and spending enormous amounts on transport. The Luas project, which the Opposition tried to laugh off, is now in...

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: We will continue doing that. It is uncomfortable for the Opposition to have to look at a country doing so well and know that it played no part in that for 25 years. The danger for the country is that perhaps it would play a part in it because we want to stay where we are and keep on going strong.

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I appreciate Deputy Rabbitte raising this matter. If he had spoken to me about it beforehand I could have checked it and tried to find out some details. I do not want to add to the discomfort of the O'Gorman family but if I can add my weight to try to do something for them I will do so. I have no knowledge of the case whatsoever. I do not know what has happened or what the pump is.

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I do not know what the medical condition is but I will be glad to examine the individual case.

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: All I can do is check into the individual case and try to be helpful to the people involved. On the general point concerning staff, 130,000 people work in our health service every day. They deal with approximately 1 million people per year. One of the nice things about being Taoiseach is the letters I receive from families all over the country acknowledging and praising everything from...

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Ó Caoláin will be aware that the largest share of expenditure of additional revenues this year was given to health — over €1 billion into health resources and €500 million into the capital programme for health. That has been the case every year, with expenditure on health increasing from approximately €3 billion to €12 billion. Therefore, the resources are being provided....

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Provision for acute medical units for non-surgical patients is being made as well as the transfer of 100 high dependency beds, 38 of which have been dealt with. All of these initiatives are being monitored carefully. We are providing admissions units and other facilities to alleviate pressure in accident and emergency departments in Cavan, Wexford, the Mercy Hospital in Cork and Our Lady of...

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Sorry, a Cheann Comhairle, it is important. We want to engage with the staff and come to agreements where the length of the working day or the shift system will work so we can read the pathology lists and other lists and deal with these issues. However, we need the co-operation of the staff and staff associations to do that. I made a particular point of this in the negotiations. Also we want...

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I could go through all the procedures in every hospital under the capital programme. The Health Service Executive is putting €500 million this year alone into the hospitals. That is a huge amount of money. The biggest problem is making sure they will all spend it.

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: We are staffing them.

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy wants to ask questions. When I am replying he wants to ask more. Will he please listen?

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I will answer the question. Every single hospital is receiving assistance. There is not a crisis throughout the health service.

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: We have a difficulty in A&E units in some hospitals. However, daily throughout the country successful operations and procedures are carried out and people get medical and surgical treatment to help them back to full health. The picture the Deputy is trying to paint of 1 million people failing to get excellent care is wrong. It is sad that he paints that picture. At this very hour, people are...

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Ó Caoláin is right about reform. I praise the excellent staff who carry out their duties, but some hospitals with more staff than those hospitals have problems. That is the reason reform is essential. We need reform such as a change in the length of the working day. The Deputy pointed out that sometimes people who come into hospital on a Monday do not get treatment until a Wednesday...

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy should listen to the point he made. His point was that people are in beds too long because facilities are not available. My response is that the reason for that is that the work practice for years has been that the services close at 4 p.m. or 4.30 p.m. The Government has been trying to change this so the units can remain open till 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. We will pay the staff and work...