Results 7,701-7,720 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: If Deputy Rabbitte really wants to be helpful, he could put a word in with a few of his party members who are actively involved in the public service unions and who could help us to deal with some of the difficulties in the filling of the 90 posts because there are some restrictions. We will have 90 inspectors, as promised in Towards 2016. The labour inspectorate is doing a very good job and...

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I welcome the support of the leader of the Labour Party in trying to force decisions on this from the public service unions. We are prepared to do so in negotiations. The money is there to enable us to do this. If we can remove some of the issues in regard to recruitment, we will able to move very quickly.

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Whatever about me being in script mode, that is the classic script of those in Europe who criticise the Irish tax system and want to harmonise European taxes. That is the classic script of an attack on our system. The same countries are envious of our ability to run a good economy and to generate 800,000 jobs. I am sad to see the Deputy, who normally fights the cause of working class...

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: As for any breaches, our revenue laws are as tough as anywhere in the organised world. Every country has its own tax laws and the Revenue Commissioners have all of the powers granted by this House and many issues over the years have strengthened that position. I have no involvement in, nor can I comment on, the tax affairs of either individual companies or State bodies in respect of their...

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: They permanently pick on Ireland, in the main because they do not want to make reference to some other countries to which they are more closely allied. There are plenty of them and I note that in the French election we have again been taken out and used to be kicked around by those who should know better.

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It appears as though everyone in Ireland is my friend this morning. If Deputy Higgins is advocating that State agencies which employ thousands of people, such as An Post and the ESB, should put themselves at a disadvantage by not availing of legitimate tax schemes to minimise their tax liabilities——

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: There are bodies to investigate tax scams. If the Deputy asserts that the law as it stands is wrong, it is obvious that he disagrees with it. I remind Deputy Higgins, who obviously has forgotten what he said on two occasions, of the following. Ireland has lower taxes — although they are no longer the lowest because countries such as Estonia and other new member states have extremely low...

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: This is how we have been able to take on thousands of extra——

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: As we receive hundreds of millions more in tax revenue than was the case previously, we are able to put far more money into employing nurses, doctors and other paramedical staff, as well as thousands of teachers. I know this is not consistent with the Deputy's policy either. The Deputy would like to have exorbitantly high taxes, high unemployment and huge poverty——

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——and then he would be happy because the policies in which the Deputy believes are the policies of discontent.

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Is that not why the Deputy was thrown out of the Labour Party? He wanted always to have things bad and if things are good, it does not suit him. He is now trying to attack multinationals.

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: This is what the Deputy believes in. In fairness, the Deputy is consistent. If the sun shines, he wants to see rain. He has always been like that. I understand that and fair play to him. He has been consistent for 30 years.

Decentralisation Programme. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together. A total of 39 staff currently serving in my Department have applied through the central applications facility to relocate under the decentralisation programme. The breakdown by grade is: assistant principal, seven; higher executive officer, three; administrative officer, seven; executive officer, nine; staff officer, two; and...

Decentralisation Programme. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: No and I do not think any of the organisations connected to my Department are that big either. I do not think any of them will do so and certainly not the Department. There is always a fair bit of moving around in terms of Departments. It is really an OPW question — I will try to be helpful — and it is forever changing its leases on developments it has and trying to get out of...

Decentralisation Programme. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: In my Department, ten staff have already moved to posts. As Deputy Rabbitte is aware, through the managed system staff are moving to posts and areas. People who want to be decentralised across a range of areas are moving to offices that will be decentralised. This year about 1,000 people overall will be in posts and the figure will be several thousand in the next three years. From 2007 to...

Decentralisation Programme. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I do not know whether they have moved once they have left the Department. Regarding the figures for this summer, it is anticipated the number of decentralised staff moved to the new locations will be more than 1,000 in 20 towns. The plan in place, which I think is working through the system, will be 6,800 by the end of 2009. I think they have worked out a very good plan with the...

Decentralisation Programme. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The eastern region will continue to grow according to every report and survey. It is no longer Dublin, it is the greater Dublin area, and the definitions of the greater Dublin area get greater every year and it gets wider. To answer Deputy Ferris's question, the Government and I are totally supportive of balanced regional development. I think it is good for Dublin, the Dublin region and...

Decentralisation Programme. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: A huge range of organisations has moved out and by and large the functions have been worked out with regard to where people are going and where the offices are, along with their modus operandi. Civil Service unions and management staff have worked that out. In most of the sections there is not that much traffic back to the city. For the future, even for those coming back, web-conferencing...

Decentralisation Programme. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: There is 85% penetration.

Decentralisation Programme. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: My Department is relatively small. Some 18%, nearly a fifth, of the Department want to go up to this year. Of 39, 29 are still in my Department. They have requested to be decentralised and ten of them have gone via other Departments or agencies. The overall figure this year is 1,000. With regard to the planned structure there is now an agreement and these issues have been worked out by...