Results 7,161-7,180 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Legislative Programme. (6 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It does not require a referendum. The Department is proceeding on the basis of what we set out. Considerable work was done in the Office of the Attorney General, the office of the Minister of State with responsibility for children and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform in June, July, August and September. Following an enormous amount of thought and action, meetings took...

Legislative Programme. (6 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy asked a number of questions. With regard to the referendum, there are merits in having more than one question to deal with the five issues; there will probably be two questions. Subject to consultation, the Government would see merit in doing that again. We will see what happens in the consultations but we have not ruled it out. As I said to Deputy Higgins, it is not a good...

Legislative Programme. (6 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I did not conveniently forget any referendum. I was referring to referendums which have already been held and I tried to get consensus on that issue as well. The people will make the final decision. If the Government and the Oireachtas agree on something and put it to the people, we have to accept their decision as the final arbiters. We should not be upset one way or the other as to...

Legislative Programme. (6 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: As I stated half an hour ago, it was discussed at the Cabinet meeting today. The format was put to the Cabinet and the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, is ready to finalise his discussions with the parties. There is not much point in me asking the Minister, Deputy Brian Lenihan to have discussions with the parties and then put forward proposals before that happens. If there is no...

Legislative Programme. (6 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: As I stated early on, the Government has a preference but we would like to get political agreement. The Government format is based on our current thinking, subject to the deliberations with the other parties. I emphasise it is open to amendment, based on those considerations. If it is clear that other parties are unwilling to agree or want a longer period and will not agree to a referendum...

Legislative Programme. (6 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I have no ulterior agenda other than to try to be helpful on the matter. If the Opposition parties prefer that the Government brings forward its full proposals in public, we could do so. I would prefer if the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, had private consultations with the parties and we awaited their outcome. Otherwise we might as well make the entire proposals public and say...

Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy raised two questions but I believe I answered the one on beds last week. In addition to the HSE's own beds, the number of beds contracted by it this year amounts to approximately 1,300. Some 360 beds are being made available through the private sector, including 220 in the greater Dublin area, 100 in the south and 40 in the western region. Another 1,050 have been taken from the...

Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Kenny should at least research his facts. BreastCheck involves diagnostic work, mainly for women over 50. It is on a precautionary and preventative basis that it is being rolled out. Deputy Kenny may refer to the charter but I launched the programme and am well aware of it.

Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: That is what BreastCheck is and screening is being rolled out around the country. The treatment work is such that it is necessary to admit certain people on an inpatient basis or to have them attend for further screening, tests, surgery or operations. Deputy Kenny confused the two areas.

Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy is correct that it has been said recently that the work cannot be completed by 2011. I cannot accept and have not accepted that additional time is needed to complete the work. The radiotherapy hospitals in Waterford hospital, which only came on stream two years ago, are fully built and operational. The second accelerator unit is working and it is being used by the National...

Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: They are in Waterford, in Whitfield.

Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: If he knows, he was at the opening with me, where we went down and saw the accelerators.

Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I am talking about the Whitfield Clinic, and there is a contract——

Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is the Whitfield Clinic, which has a contract with the HSE, where women in the south east and other parts of the country are receiving radiotherapy treatments on this day. Is that not true?

Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Is it not true that when I was there Deputy O'Shea and others said they would see whether there was a contract signed with the HSE for public patients? Is it not true that this has been done and delivered and that one of the best services in the country is in his constituency, and that I played a part in that?

Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: As regards the services I accept Deputy Kenny's point that their roll-out in the private sector, as in the Whitfield Clinic and in Limerick, can be done at enormous speed. To say at the start of 2007 that they cannot achieve a strategy by 2011 is just not acceptable. Given the huge resources and the staff they have been given, they should be able to do it by 2009. I do not accept that and...

Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: In reply to Deputy Kenny, we are preparing a cervical screening programme which will start later this year. It was not the case that we have not got a programme. There was no programme a few years ago. As regards the staff involved now, there are 110 new specialist posts in cancer treatment, giving 300 new cancer specialist posts. There is a cancer control strategy. It is neither...

Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I will not defend, condone or stand over developers, auctioneers or agents of any type who engage in this. Regulation of the property services sector, which is vested in the new property regulator services authority, as already outlined in the House in the last session by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, will license and regulate management agents, who are often the source...

Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: We have already got the heads of the Bill in place. In terms of the matter raised by Deputy Rabbitte, it is the seller who pays the auctioneer, not the buyer. For once I agree with him that there is no argument whatsoever to be made or any justifiable case for auctioneers to have any increase, having worked on the basis of 30,000 to 35,000 a year, while they are now selling in the range of...

Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy does not want me to legislate.