Results 7,961-7,980 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Kenny is correct. I apologised to those who were in institutions because in the institutions the State had a full obligation. I have never stopped taking criticism from the Opposition in this House for that matter, but that is neither here nor there. Boards of management are not sued as individuals but as boards of management, and they have indemnity insurance on that issue, which...

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Minister does not believe this issue will stop people from volunteering to participate in boards. The head of the Catholic Primary School Managers' Association has also publicly assured board members that they are protected by insurance and, therefore, I do not want to get into the position of scaremongering.

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The position is that in the entire history of the State primary schools have been State aided as distinct from State run. The Catholic Church and other churches which have set up the vast majority of our primary schools continue to act as their patrons. Other patrons include those of Protestant, Jewish and Muslim faiths, and the patron bodies from Gaelscoileanna and Educate Together...

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte raised three points. First, he is incorrect to state I did not raise the hospital issue and the health service issue. Last week I gave extensive detail on the health issue at the Fianna Fáil Ard-Fheis, including that we are bringing in a national screening programme for breast cancer——

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——extending the facilities in a number of areas of treatments, improving the urgent care centre——

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: That was part of the question.

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I also referred to prostate cancer services. These will be important services——

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——including finalising the remaining beds that we need for public hospitals. That, of course, includes dealing with the issue of co-location. The position is that I am not signing any contracts. The HSE, on eight contracts——

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: If they do not want to hear what is happening, there is no point in me speaking.

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I apologise if I am provoking the Opposition. The Government is trying to make available, against the wishes of the Opposition, more beds so that more public patients will be involved in hospitals.

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The HSE is responsible for that. It seems desirable to this side of the House to reduce waiting lists even further than the reduction by half we achieved in recent years and to eliminate them if possible. To do that, we will need more beds.

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: If the Deputy would co-operate with us, we might do so more quickly.

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Stagg does not want to hear what I have to say about public hospital beds. Currently there are several thousand private beds in public hospitals and there is no access for public patients. We are endeavouring to build co-located private hospitals so that those private beds can move out of public hospitals and be designated private hospitals. The same consultants would be able to...

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte is entitled to say that if he is elected to power he will close the tax incentives for private hospitals. There are no super private hospitals. They are the same tax incentives that have given us 7,500 nursing home units. If his policy is opposed to what we have created successfully, he is entitled to do that. Deputy Rabbitte may say that I am using weasel, sleeveen words,...

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I ask the Deputy to listen.

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: We said we would provide additional public beds.

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: This is a way of doing so. Deputy Rabbitte is trying to block the Government hand over fist for a different industrial relations reason——

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——which I am aware of because I have listened to the union side in this. The Deputy is opposing the Government's efforts to provide additional public beds.

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: That is the end result of his campaign.

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is not ridiculous, it is a fact. The HSE is involved in negotiations and Deputy Rabbitte should know but clearly does not — as is more likely, he wants to mislead — that the entire health Vote is in the hands of the HSE.