Results 701-720 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Order of Business. (23 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The Bord Gáis Éireann Bill will be before the House next year. I do not have a date for the electricity Bill, although its heads have been approved and it is being drafted.

Order of Business. (23 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The heads of the building control Bill have been approved for some time and it is scheduled for mid 2005. On the referendum, a spring 2006 referendum is the probable preference of the British Government, although it is not final. There will probably be an election before then. It is advisable for us to hold our referendum before then, although we have not decided on a date. We are, however,...

Order of Business. (23 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: There is no legislation planned for this area and we must wait to see if we can conclude the comprehensive settlement to look at issues that surround it. There are no proposals in the area but the Government continues to put significant resources into the Border, midland and west, BMW, region to help economic development in those regions. In our multi-annual and capital programmes, large...

Order of Business. (23 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The Criminal Justice (Inter-national Co-operation) Bill will be taken in this session. The heads of the criminal justice (miscellaneous provisions) Bill are expected before Christmas and the Bill will be introduced in the new year. We are also working on a criminal justice (protection of confidential information) Bill for next year but the criminal justice (miscellaneous provisions) Bill will...

Order of Business. (23 Nov 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The Minister for Foreign Affairs was not involved in this issue today but the Department has made contact. I will ask for a note to let Deputies Howlin and Sargent know what progress has been made.

Seanad: Northern Ireland Peace Process: Motion. (15 Dec 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I am grateful to this House for affording me the opportunity to report on the progress made last week on the Northern Ireland peace process. I would like to explain why the recent developments are important. It is my belief that we have reached the final, difficult phase of our peace process. I have heard some people say that things are quiet in Northern Ireland and that we should leave well...

Leaders' Questions. (26 Jan 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Kenny has asked me a number of questions to which there are a number of aspects. Obviously, since we debated these matters on the eve of the Christmas recess, events have taken a bad turn. The fall-out from the Northern Bank raid is that trust and confidence in the process are now at a very low level. The sooner we can deal with these issues straight up with the republican movement,...

Leaders' Questions. (26 Jan 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I do not know the make-up of the present army council. I had some heated exchanges about that yesterday. I will not go over that ground again. I do not know the whereabouts of any arms dumps. The position of the Garda is that we will continue to seek out arms anywhere. No easy line will be taken on that. Regarding the other issues, I appreciate Deputy Kenny's bipartisan position of support....

Leaders' Questions. (26 Jan 2005)

Bertie Ahern: In reply to Deputy Rabbitte I reiterate what I said to the parties yesterday. I am not in favour of the politics of exclusion because that would create vacuums that would not help. We have a commitment to implement the Good Friday Agreement and we are determined to continue going down that road. Obviously, if we are to get trust and confidence we then have to get clear answers and commitments...

Leaders' Questions. (26 Jan 2005)

Bertie Ahern: That is a fair question. During all of last year security intelligence in the Republic and in the North was that significant moves were being made to make progress as per paragraph 13 on paramilitary activity, training, targeting and such like. At the same time, some large raids took place. Apart from the transparency of decommissioning, which we did not finalise in the comprehensive talks,...

Leaders' Questions. (26 Jan 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Ó Caoláin and all other Members can be certain that all of us will continue to do all the positive actions he has mentioned. We will do our very best because the people voted for the Good Friday Agreement. It is the policy of everybody in this House to continue to do that. I understand why Deputy Ó Caoláin is looking around for an angle, which in this case is that the reasons are...

Leaders' Questions. (26 Jan 2005)

Bertie Ahern: We have done so because of our history. The Deputy must understand that things must be equal. I refer to the kind of tactics in which some of his friends engage. In recent days a man was taken to a lay-by, shot in both hands and suffered a broken jaw. The reason for this assault is not known but it was carried out by the Provisional IRA. An 18 year old received gunshot wounds in both hands in...

Leaders' Questions. (26 Jan 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I will fight Deputy Kenny's party. We will fight tough and hard politically. I will fight Deputy Rabbitte's party. However, it is very hard to fight that to which I have referred. The Deputy refers to evidence.

Leaders' Questions. (26 Jan 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Does the Deputy want me to name the individual? What would happen to him?

Leaders' Questions. (26 Jan 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I will defend the facts. I will not go on about this every day but neither will I take it. The Deputy asked where is the evidence. Before I said anything — I did not say much by the way——

Leaders' Questions. (26 Jan 2005)

Bertie Ahern: That is not the position. I spoke to Prime Minister Blair, I got a report on what British intelligence was, I got a report from Hugh Orde——

Leaders' Questions. (26 Jan 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I am answerable to something with which the Deputy's party has a difficulty. This is the difficulty. When I come into this House, I have to listen to what the Garda Síochána of this country says. Sometimes what it says is not suitable but I have to accept it. In this case, it said that its professional assessment is that it shares the view that the Northern Bank robbery was carried out by...

Leaders' Questions. (26 Jan 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Yes, because I have to listen to it.

Leaders' Questions. (26 Jan 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Should I ignore the Garda?

Leaders' Questions. (26 Jan 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Does the Garda not tell the truth either?