Results 6,181-6,200 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Order of Business (10 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I thank the Deputy for his comments on Northern Ireland. I would like to give some thought to the other issue because a number of legal and stock market considerations arise from it. We will examine the suggestion made. The Minister is severely constrained in what he can say. We will try to construct a debate or discussion that does not create any difficulty.

Order of Business (10 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Government will give priority to the legislation in question which will amend the Standards in Public Office Act 2001. The Minister for Finance and his officials will have responsibility for the legislation which will deal with the question of significant loans or gifts from friends which do not have to be recorded at present. That is the key issue on which the Tánaiste and I have...

Order of Business (10 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The register of persons considered unsafe to work with children is an issue being considered by the North-South Ministerial Council. The development of the register will depend on what happens with the Council in the forthcoming period. The work has concentrated on developing procedures whereby convictions can be vetted through the vetting unit. The development of the register will give...

Order of Business (10 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Does the Deputy refer to the electronic communications Bill?

Order of Business (10 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: That Bill is listed for this session.

Order of Business (10 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: No.

Order of Business (10 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The heads have not yet been cleared for the nurses and midwives Bill and it is listed for next year. The heads are approved for the Voluntary Health Insurance Board (corporate status) Bill, the legislation was sent for drafting some time ago and is expected early next year.

Order of Business (10 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Minister for Health and Children is anxious to publish the report on the Leas Cross nursing home as soon as possible. She wishes to see any obstacles to its publication removed as a matter of urgency. The Attorney General's advice was sought regarding the publication of the report under Dáil privilege. This advice has been received and is being considered in consultation with the...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (10 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy will be aware that the definition of a person with a disability for the purposes of the 3% target is the positive action definition set out in the Code of Practice for the Civil Service, 1994. In this context, the term "people with disabilities" means people with a physical, sensory or psychological impairment which may: "have a tangible impact on their functional capability to do...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (11 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Prime Minister Blair and I will host multi-party talks between the two Governments and the Northern Ireland political parties from the 11th to the 13th of October. These talks will take place in St. Andrews in Scotland. The purpose of these discussions is to address the few remaining outstanding issues so that the institutions can be restored over the coming weeks. I hope that all the...

Written Answers — Tribunals of Inquiry: Tribunals of Inquiry (11 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The McCracken Tribunal (Dunnes Payments) was completed in 1997 and the terms of reference are at Appendix 1. The cost of the tribunal was €6,655,332. The Moriarty Tribunal commenced in 1997 and the terms of reference are at Appendix 2. The cost of the tribunal to 30 September, 2006 is €25,232,028. The completion date at the existing level of remuneration is the end of January 2007. The...

Departmental Bodies. (17 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together. The quality customer service working group is one of four groups which, in recent years, have been actively developing and promoting the quality customer service, QCS, initiative in the public service. The other groups include the QCS officers' network, a research group and a group dealing with equality and diversity issues. These groups...

Departmental Bodies. (17 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Niall Crowley of the Equality Authority chaired the equality and diversity sub-group in the past. That sub-group assisted in the preparation of the support pack for equality and diversity aspects of all the QCS, which was issued to all Departments and offices. That sub-group also advised on the working and commission of the research group on equality and diversity issues. That was...

Departmental Bodies. (17 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The intention is that, for people who wish to do business through Irish, every Department and agency have staff capable and competent to deal with them over the telephone or by e-mail.

Departmental Bodies. (17 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Every Department has people who can deal with telephone calls, e-mails and personal visits through Irish, which is the intention of QCS groups. It is difficult for every section to have people competent in Irish, especially specialist sections, although they are trying to achieve that, but in Departments as a whole there is adequate competence. The easiest aspect of the service, namely...

Departmental Bodies. (17 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It is still part of general recruitment to the Civil Service that people be competent in all aspects of Irish. They do not have problems in Departments as a whole, but they may do so in individual sections. However, they are trying to make progress as part of the customer charter.

Departmental Bodies. (17 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I said last week at the IBEC HR conference that there is a need to consider introducing more flexibility in how we deal with customers. I gave three examples, local authorities, the education service and the health service. I said this means more flexible hours, more flexible working weeks and more flexible systems, and I stand over that. I was not talking about the health sector because...

Official Engagements. (17 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 to 25, inclusive, together. I make contact on an ongoing basis at European Council and other summit meetings with EU Heads of State or Government. On 30 June, I travelled to Helsinki where I met with the Finnish Prime Minister, Mr. Vanhanen, and discussed the agenda for the Finnish EU Presidency. I travelled to Berlin on 9 October and had a successful...

Official Engagements. (17 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: All groups in Northern Ireland have pressed for a change in the corporation tax rate; it is one of the few areas where there is total agreement among all sides, including unions, industry, business and political parties. They have put forward their case in the last nine months to the British Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Government has also made the case for this change, with the...

Official Engagements. (17 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It is a difficult issue for him to deal with. There is strong support for this measure in the North and it has led to an interesting debate about the island economy, the courage of taking that initial step and so on. We have no difficulty with it but is a difficult matter for the British authorities to decide how to handle it and how to deal separately with Northern Ireland. There is a...