Results 6,301-6,320 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Dublin-Monaghan Bombings. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: As regards timing, I know that Mr. MacEntee would like to wrap up this work on the important aspects that were referred to him. Obviously, he wants to bring it to a successful conclusion following the work of the Hamilton and Barron inquires as well as the work of the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights. He has done a lot of work and brought the inquiry to a...

Dublin-Monaghan Bombings. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: For many decades nothing happened on all of these matters. In recent years, however, we have worked through Mr. Justice Hamilton, Mr. Justice Barron, the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights and, currently, the Commissions of Investigation Act to obtain and make available as much detail as we can from the British system, the Northern Ireland Office and the Garda...

Tribunals of Inquiry. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 to 12, inclusive, together. The total cost incurred by my Department in respect of the Moriarty tribunal from 1997 until 30 September 2006 is €25,232,028. This includes fees paid to counsel for the tribunal and administration costs incurred since its establishment. The total payments made to the legal team were €19,310,119 by 30 September 2006. The...

Tribunals of Inquiry. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I will deal with the questions in so far as I can. The end date for the Moriarty tribunal is, for the applicability of proposed new costs structures to the existing tribunals or Moriarty tribunal, end 2007, because that was the date given back at that stage. As I reported to the House previously, there were to be two reports, one in autumn and one in January. That is still my information...

Tribunals of Inquiry. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: On the other question, there were issues of fees for the other tribunals. The Morris tribunal date was the end of October 2007 and the Mahon tribunal was 31 March 2007. The Bill provides for the making of regulations that will apply the new schedule of fees to these tribunals. I believe that covers the Deputy's question.

Tribunals of Inquiry. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: On the first question, to the end of August 2006, the total cost to the Exchequer of completed and sitting tribunals of inquiry and other public inquiries was €263,836,000. Of this, €188,907,000 was in respect of legal costs and €74,929,000 related to other costs. The figure for legal costs includes €75,444,000 in respect of third party legal costs awarded to date. The Deputy is...

Tribunals of Inquiry. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I thought I answered the first question on two occasions. We have had no information in the form of drafts or otherwise on the substance or substantial issues of the first or second Moriarty tribunal reports. There would be some limited issues in my Department and we would only have had reference to them. They would have been very minor. They would not have had anything to do with the...

Tribunals of Inquiry. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The new rates represent less than 40% of the maximum current rates paid to tribunals of inquiry. They give an indication of the potential savings arising in the future.

Tribunals of Inquiry. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I have mentioned the dates. The relevant dates are the end of January 2007 for the Moriarty tribunal, the end of October 2007 for the Morris tribunal and the end of March for the Mahon tribunal. It is obvious that we will have to await the outcome of the tribunals before we can deal with other outstanding issues.

National Security Committee. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 to 17, inclusive, together. As the work of the National Security Committee is confidential, it would not be appropriate for me to disclose information about the dates of its meetings and proceedings. The committee, which is chaired by the Secretary General to the Government, comprises representatives at the highest level from the Departments of Justice,...

National Security Committee. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Kenny will recall that after the events of September 2001 I mentioned on a number of occasions that the Garda was involved in operational matters relating to a small number of suspects linked to al-Qaeda. This is what has emanated from these reports which suggest there were six units associated with Islamic terrorist organisations active here. These units were described as logistical...

National Security Committee. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: This report was presented in such a way as to suggest there were six units associated with Islamic terrorist organisations in operation. I did not see the full text of the documents, but one would think it referred to six active cells. However, on further reading one will find that it referred to people who showed operational support. It refers mainly to logistical and financial support...

Pupil-Teacher Ratio. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It is the chestnut season.

Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I totally reject what Deputy Kenny said about the performance of the Minister for Transport. Under the Minister's watch we are seeing one of the best ever roll-outs of infrastructure. We are seeing this on all the main roads — the road to Belfast which is done, and the roads to Cork, Limerick and Waterford. Some €1.5 billion is being spent on roads infrastructure. On the rail...

Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: In 18 of the last 19 contracts, the procurement and the contract system are coming in on time and on budget. Therefore, the first part of Deputy Kenny's assertion does not hold up and I should not bother to comment on it. On the second issue, the cost assessment analysis has been done on the metro. There will be a further cost assessment analysis when we go to the market on the basis of...

Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: One does not take a major infrastructural project and spell it out before testing the market and the interest from various parts of the world. That would be a nonsense. While the RPA has done careful assessments and will continue to do so I agree it is a huge project. I heard the same arguments a few years ago here about Luas, that we would never build it, the project would hit a brick...

Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Now more than 23 or 24 million people use it. This project is being carefully thought out, carefully planned and will be carefully operated through the system. I assure Deputy Kenny that the assessment will be transparent because it involves a huge amount of public money.

Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: As he rightly said the project is required and will carry in the order of 20 million or 30 million people. We have to put it out to tender in a careful way and that is the way we will proceed.

Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Without getting into an argument the difference with the M50 is that the work has already commenced. It is in three phases and the work is under way.

Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Obviously when a contract is under way in the first phase, one knows the price. The second and third phases have been priced also. Based on the assessment, the feasibility study and the cost analysis done by the RPA we will go to the market before Christmas. Then we hope to see, although we can never be certain, interest from serious international operations. Not many companies in the...