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

Departmental Appointments. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 to 6, inclusive, together. The role of the advisers is to keep me informed on a wide range of issues, including business, financial, economic, political, administrative and media matters. Under the direction of the programme manager, their primary function is to ensure effective co-ordination in the implementation of the programme for Government. Each of the...

Departmental Appointments. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: Mr. John Lahart, adviser to the Minister of State and Chief Whip, Deputy Kitt, is responsible for e-Cabinet and he is involved in that work. The conditions under which advisers are covered are included in a number of legislative provisions. Clarification on the role of advisers was sought in the House at the end of last year or the beginning of this year, specifically whether they could be...

Departmental Appointments. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The only change is the most recently filled vacancy, namely, the special adviser with responsibility for co-ordinating work between all the Ministers of State who was appointed in the past month. Other than the Chief Whip, no other Minister of State has an adviser. The rates of pay total €858,846. Other than benchmarking, there has been no review or alteration of the rates and there has...

Departmental Appointments. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: Perhaps to round up their brothers and sisters. It is not a new appointment; the position existed already. The Government of which Deputy Rabbitte was a member operated a more communist theory, in that there were lots of people and it employed one for one, as it were. There were 15 or 16 Ministers of State and an adviser for every one of them. It was the "one for everyone in the audience"...

Departmental Appointments. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I was trying to get from the communist stage to the capitalist stage so I just had one in the middle — it is more socialist. The person endeavours as best they can to assist all the Ministers of State. It is a political appointment. The person liaises with the Ministers of State and assists them in political areas where they can. It obviously means the individual can only work on certain...

Departmental Appointments. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I am not sure what issue the Deputy is referring to, but under the Ethics in Public Office Act and the Standards in Public Office Act, it is a legal obligation of Ministers to comply with both the contract and the form. Whatever about the issue of the parliamentary question to which, I believe, the Deputy is referring, that is set down in law. On the code of conduct, as I informed Deputy...

Departmental Appointments. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: It is a code of behaviour that was approved by the Government. People are duty bound to live by that code and not abuse it.

Office of the Chief State Solicitor. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 9, inclusive, together. The recommendations of the Nally report in respect of the reorganisation of the Chief State Solicitor's office have largely been implemented. Agreement with the unions involved was achieved during 2001. The criminal prosecutions functions undertaken by the Chief State Solicitor's office were transferred to the Office of Director of...

Office of the Chief State Solicitor. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: Most if not all of the recommendations of the Nally report have now been implemented, with the exception of the negotiations, which hopefully will be concluded shortly with the State Solicitors' Association. Discussions have been taking place and an offer has been made to bring them under the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. A formal offer was made to the local State solicitors...

Office of the Chief State Solicitor. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The Office of Public Works does most of the property transactions. I am sure they received advice on these legal matters from the State Solicitor's office but in other cases the State Solicitor's office will allow Departments use solicitors. I am not sure which way the OPW is doing it or whether it is using its own legal advice. I assume if that is the case it is done through somebody who has...

Office of the Chief State Solicitor. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: If the Deputy puts down a question I will ask for the information.

Office of the Chief State Solicitor. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: To the best of my knowledge, the enabling legislation allowing for that, the Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill passed Second Stage in the Dáil on 13 October and is awaiting Committee Stage. Responsibility will be transferred under the new arrangement when negotiations are complete. The benefit of this is that the Director of Public Prosecutions will have responsibility in the Dublin...

Office of the Chief State Solicitor. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: It is the OECD report.

Regulatory Reform. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 to 15, inclusive, together. The implementation group of Secretaries General has responsibility for overall co-ordination and promotion of the modernisation programme for the Civil Service. A number of sub-groups oversee the different strands of the modernisation programme, which are taken forward in close collaboration between my Department and the...

Regulatory Reform. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: On the issue of a single regulator, two recent reports stated this issue should be looked at and that, rather than appointing new regulators, we should try to give new regulatory roles to existing regulators. It also stated we should look at having a super-regulator and move away from having a host of regulators in different areas. There is sense in this proposal and the issue is being...

Regulatory Reform. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The concept of discussion of heads of Bills in Oireachtas committees is a good one because areas can be teased out. Most of the heads in the Health Bill were taken from the reform documents produced since 2001.

Regulatory Reform. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: There is nothing new in them and the heads are based around that. Speed and time are the reasons for not debating them at the committee. Where possible, it is better that there is a meaningful discussion about the heads of Bills and I have indicated that to my colleagues. I hope they go before all committees, they certainly go before some. In several cases the heads of Bills published for...

Regulatory Reform. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: Unfortunately, behind this there is a large industry of advisers and specialists, degrees and certificates.

Regulatory Reform. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The Government is shrinking. My Department shrank by 4% this year.

Regulatory Reform. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I will not argue with Deputy Howlin on this because there is a difference between trying to make something safe and writing a great deal into regulations. While no one wants to see accidents on building sites, farms, in butchers' shops or meat factories where they have traditionally happened, we do not need to insist that every small company must have a health and safety clerk to comply with...