Results 621-640 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Leaders' Questions. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I heard yesterday evening that the chief executive, chief operations officer and chief financial officer of Aer Lingus were about to tender their resignations and so the Minister met them this morning. I wish to express my gratitude for the work they have done over the past three years, as I have done two or three weeks in a row. Their work has proved we have a profitable successful airline...

Leaders' Questions. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I reject outright what Deputy Kenny said. This has probably been Aer Lingus's best ever year. Following its reform programme, its profits this year will be extraordinarily good. We have been working to try and assist Aer Lingus through the aviation difficulties in which it found itself, with the trade union movement and management, including the chief executive, chief operations officer and...

Leaders' Questions. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: It is not just a question of privatisation and finding a strategic partner. I praised Aer Lingus management and workers in a reply to Deputy Sargent last week. It is not an easy issue. I accept there will be difficulties down the road. I cannot answer Deputy Kenny's question about what these gentlemen are going to do. I thank them for their contribution. Two of them came from the ranks and...

Leaders' Questions. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: It is not just a case of Government policy, we also have to take into account EU aviation policy and the position of the United States. We will address the issue as quickly as possible. The Minister had a detailed discussion with the three executives today and he also had discussions with them on a number of occasions in recent weeks.

Leaders' Questions. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The core of centre left political ideology is the desire to spread more wealth equally.

Leaders' Questions. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: Since we returned to office in 1997, Fianna Fáil's record——

Leaders' Questions. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: ——is that of the most left-wing Government the country has ever seen.

Leaders' Questions. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: It is all right, a Cheann Comhairle. The Ceann Comhairle should not get upset. I am quite enjoying the fact that the Labour Party has not been so upset for 20 years. There is no arguing with my party's clear achievements in ensuring that economic prosperity is more equitably spread throughout our communities. This Government has done much more than any other on pensions and social welfare,...

Leaders' Questions. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte criticised the Government's record of creating a fair and equitable tax system, yet the most recent data from the OECD shows that in 2003 Ireland had the lowest tax wedge in the European Union and one of the lowest in the OECD for a single person on the average production wage.

Leaders' Questions. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte stated that the tax system ignores the low paid, yet of the 1.8 million people in the work force, more than 620,000 are exempt from income tax. Where a number of years ago, one quarter of workers were exempt from income tax, the figure is now one third. In the past seven years, the Government has reduced the standard and higher rates of income tax by six percentage points....

Leaders' Questions. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: Whether it is targeted support packages for disadvantaged children, assistance for disadvantaged areas or resources invested under the RAPID scheme in Ballymun and other areas in which it was needed, the Government has invested huge resources. Those are the facts, which Deputy Rabbitte cannot deny.

Leaders' Questions. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The social welfare budget was increased by €640 million, which is an enormous increase. Approximately 13,000 people will be catered for by the social and affordable housing scheme, which is higher than any figure since 1986. These are facts.

Leaders' Questions. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The income tax burden for the average household has fallen from 30% in 1996 to 18% today. Deputy Rabbitte referred to the average industrial wage which is up €10,000, even with all the increases, a person on the average wage today will pay €300 less than they would have been.

Leaders' Questions. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The reason more people do not require medical cards is that they are working.

Leaders' Questions. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: It is because they are working. We no longer have 17% unemployment. We are not all unemployed as when the Labour Party was in control of these issues and pursued tax and spend policies. The great social philosophy of the Labour Party left people unemployed or emigrating and with high taxes. The country was goosed but we are away from those policies now. Deputy Seán Ryan knows in his heart...

Leaders' Questions. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: We have the highest minimum wage. I had to fight and wait for several years to see the Labour Party out of Government in order to see a minimum wage, which is now the highest in Europe. All these figures show that while everything is not done, the old circumstances of high unemployment, low wages and high taxes are not with us anymore, for which I thank God.

Leaders' Questions. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The Government regrets that Professor Aidan Halligan will not take up the job of leading the new Health Service Executive. We respect the reasons he has given for his decision. Professor Halligan made his decision clear to Kevin Kelly, the chairman of the interim HSE last week. Mr. Kelly kept the Tánaiste informed on all aspects of the transition to the new HSE. There will be no loss of...

Leaders' Questions. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I did not speak to Professor Halligan so I cannot give precise details. The Government had been in negotiation with him during the summer about conditions, moving and related issues. We had finalised a very satisfactory package. It was well known that Professor Halligan was probably coming here, although it was generally expected in the medical business in the UK that he would have got the...

Order of Business. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: It is proposed to take No. 9, motion re referral to select committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the amendments to the convention establishing the European Telecommunications Satellite Organisation; No. 10, motion re referral to select committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the amendments to the convention for the establishment of the European Radiocommunications...

Order of Business. (16 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: There is an Independent Member from the Seanad on the commission. That was what was agreed when it was put in place. Question, "That the proposal for dealing with Nos. 9, 10, 11, 11a, 12 and 13 without debate be agreed", put and declared carried.