Results 5,921-5,940 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Order of Business (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The press conference to announce the Bills took place yesterday and they have been approved by Cabinet. Considerable work was done on these Bills at Cabinet in the past year. The Bills are being circulated in the normal way, if they have not already been circulated — the text has been available. I have no control over when Bills are circulated but the Cabinet approved the text and the Bills...

Order of Business (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I understand that they are being circulated in the normal way.

Order of Business (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The broadcasting Bill is undergoing the consultation process we agreed so it will probably appear in 2007. I asked the Department of Education and Science to supply the details to the Deputy so I apologise that he has not yet received an answer to that question. I will ask again for them today.

Order of Business (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Bill has priority for drafting. It is a long Bill but we hope to publish it in the autumn.

Order of Business (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: There will be a debate on the agreement.

Order of Business (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I will bring the Deputy's views to the Minister's attention.

National Wage Agreement: Statements. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I am very glad of this opportunity to have an early debate in this House on Towards 2016, the ten-year framework draft social partnership agreement, negotiations on which concluded on 14 June last. Deputies will be aware that we have already had a debate on the draft agreement in the Seanad on Wednesday, 21 June. As I said in my reply to questions in this House last Wednesday, I recognise...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: My Department has engaged Public Relations Consultants to a value of €77,353.38 since 2002. The breakdown for each year is as follows: € 2002 Nil 2003 Nil 2004 77,208.18 2005 145.20 2006 Nil These payments comprised of the following transactions: € 2004 RTE 35,256.79 PR Consultancy — EU Presidency 2004 Grayling Gilmore 29,803.65 PR...

Written Answers — Departmental Appointments: Departmental Appointments (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The information sought by the Deputy is contained in the following schedule. Title Year Salary (incl. Overtime & allowances) Expenses Special Adviser and Programme Manager 2002 172,699.00 1,089.91 2003 179,280.00 1,778.51 2004 193,426.00 3,060.23 2005 197,764.00 248.6 2006 218,845.00 556.73 Special Adviser 2002 83,595.00 277.02 2003 95,041.00 0 2004...

Written Answers — Departmental Appointments: Departmental Appointments (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 130 together. I refer the Deputy to the answers he was given on Wednesday, 7 December 2005 (Ref 38323/05) and Tuesday 13 December, 2005 (Ref 39019/05). There have been no changes in the staffing of these offices since that date. The projected annual cost of these Offices for 2006 are as follows: Office Salary (incl. overtime) Expenses € €...

Written Answers — Departmental Advertising: Departmental Advertising (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Details of advertising undertaken by my Department in each year since 2002 are set out in the attached table. This all related to newspaper advertising. Year Amount € 2002 51,164* 2003 10,212* 2004 21,608* 2005 27,731 2006 (Jan to June) 46,991* *Included in the above figures are payments made by my Department for advertisements which were or are due to be recouped...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 to 136, inclusive, together. The current sanctioned staffing level in the Office of the Attorney General is 120. At present, there are 117.73 staff members serving with 5.27 vacancies. However, 3 of the staff are supernumerary while training for secondment to other Departments (see below). Two vacancies are expected to be filled on 10 July. In November,...

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I thank the Ceann Comhairle and will try to be as brief as I can. I come to the House with the belief that the truth is certainly more powerful than the most baseless of political attacks. I intend to address private issues here today, frankly and fully, even though I believe they have nothing to do with my public responsibilities, have never influenced me on any public policy and represent...

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I do not want much time.

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Denis 'Starry' O'Brien allegation is well known. It was also alleged that I received a further bribe of €30,000 from Owen O'Callaghan in 1992, that I had bank accounts in the Netherlands Antilles, Liechtenstein and Jersey, England, that I had €15 million in onshore accounts and had taken steps to open a bank account in Mauritius. There were other similar, unfounded, allegations made...

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2006)

Bertie Ahern: On the first question, Deputy Kenny has it wrong. He used the term "cash donations" but I did not receive any cash donations. I accepted money reluctantly on the basis that it was a loan to be repaid with interest. It would have been entirely wrong to accept a donation and I did not accept the money as a donation. I took it as a loan to be paid back and I said I would have to pay interest...

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2006)

Bertie Ahern: These events took place some years before publication of the McCracken report. However, the procedures I followed, the actions I have now taken and what I have told the tribunal and the public yesterday and today breach neither the ethics code, the tax code, nor legislation. I am sure Deputy Rabbitte, like others, has examined the position very carefully and has not found that to be the...

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I know the law, although I am not an expert on every aspect. However, many years ago my tax advisers checked the issues in detail on the basis that it was a loan with interest. Subject to correction, I believe that the rate throughout the loan period was 3% — the interest rate that a person would have received on a deposit from 1993 or 1994. It was calculated yearly, and the total...

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2006)

Bertie Ahern: As I said earlier, these were loans with interest, not from businessmen but friends. My friends have been described as businessmen but the impression given that they are captains of industry is far from the truth. They are people who assisted me at a particular time because they knew the circumstances. I accepted that only on the basis these were loans with interest. That is the position....

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2006)

Bertie Ahern: As I said a number of times, these people are friends. If the Deputy wants to categorise people who are friends, that is his entitlement, but it is not an offence to get loans from friends at times. I did that one time in my 55 years on this earth. If in hindsight that was not the wisest thing to do, so be it, but I think there are few of us in this House who have not benefited from...