Results 7,241-7,260 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Leaders' Questions (7 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Sargent should raise a question with the line Minister.

Leaders' Questions (7 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I do not want to argue unnecessarily with Deputy Sargent but he knows himself that it is nonsense to quote figures such as the statistic that 98% of houses in the State are cold or below standard. He knows it is not factual.

Leaders' Questions (7 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is not the truth.

Leaders' Questions (7 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is entirely——

Leaders' Questions (7 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Did the Deputy write that himself?

Leaders' Questions (7 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: He should not be showing me authority facts.

Leaders' Questions (7 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: If Deputy Sargent is saying 98% of the new houses built in this country are in breach of the existing guidelines, it is not true.

Leaders' Questions (7 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is another study of ten houses picked by the Deputy himself.

Leaders' Questions (7 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Every time we check a figure thrown up by Deputy Sargent, we find it has no basis, is not factual and does not stand up in any area of the city.

Leaders' Questions (7 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Both local authorities and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government bear this out. When we check the figures to determine their basis, there is never a basis.

Leaders' Questions (7 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: There are standards and legislation and local authorities arbitrate on these and carry out the inspections. I concede that the standards and specifications of the local authorities are very high. When people seek mortgages, clearings or valuation certificates, the issues in question are checked. The standards are high but not so high in some of the old properties. The Government has given...

Leaders' Questions (7 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy should not be saying 98% of all new houses in the State are insufficient in this regard — it is nonsense.

Official Engagements. (7 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 21, inclusive, together. I met the President of Egypt, Mr. Hosni Mubarak on 7 December last. We discussed the need to strengthen economic and trade links between Ireland and Egypt and reviewed the situation across the Middle East in general. President Mubarak expressed his appreciation for Ireland's strong position on the Middle East peace process, both...

Official Engagements. (7 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I met President Mubarak on 7 December and the Prime Minister of Egypt two weeks ago. With each of them, most of the discussions focused on the Palestinian question and the Middle East issue. Ireland is one of three countries that Egypt has high regard for because of the position we have taken historically in support of the Middle East — from the time of our declared position 27 years ago...

Ceisteanna — Questions (Resumed) (7 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: We do not have legislation on human trafficking, but the heads of a Bill have already been approved and we will bring it before the House shortly. The situation in Turkey was discussed and we will debate it during the statements on the European Council. There will be close monitoring of what was agreed in the Foreign Affairs Council in December. The Foreign Affairs Ministers set down in the...

Ceisteanna — Questions (Resumed) (7 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Lisbon Agenda always feeds into the spring meeting of the European Council. Almost the entire spring Council meeting will relate to the Lisbon strategy. Every year we draw up a report for the spring Council meeting on what we did in the preceding year across the range of areas that are set out in the strategy. We will produce a report again this year. After the reports have been...

Ceisteanna — Questions (Resumed) (7 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: That is the trouble with these issues, as the Deputy can understand. One has to do one's best in such circumstances. When I raised our concerns about human rights, it was clear what I was doing. That is why I got it back on the other side as well.

Ceisteanna — Questions (Resumed) (7 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I do not have a difficulty with what is decided on the constitution, although I doubt that bringing back the convention would be a great idea. The German Presidency would prefer to keep the process tight and it is correct in that. If the process is opened up, many matters that were agreed in the convention a number of years ago will come back into play. There were delicate balances on a...

Ceisteanna — Questions (Resumed) (7 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Between 1990 and the past few years emissions in this country have grown by 23% but the economy grew by 150%. That trend is continuing and is reflected in the emissions intensity of the Irish economy. Emissions per unit of GDP were 48% of the 1990 level. The Deputy would like it to be lower and so would I but it is still a huge achievement. The equivalent figure for the European Union is...

Order of Business (7 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is proposed to take No. 23, statements on the European Council in Brussels and No. 4, Finance Bill 2007 — Second Stage, resumed. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that the Dáil shall sit later than 8.30 p.m. and business shall be interrupted on the conclusion of Private Members' business, which shall be No. 71, motion re health service reform, resumed, which...