Results 8,301-8,320 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Social Partnership. (3 Jul 2007)

Bertie Ahern: An Phoblacht has not sought a meeting but the other press vehicle influenced by Deputy Ó Caoláin has sought a few meetings.

Social Partnership. (3 Jul 2007)

Bertie Ahern: There are a number of questions and I will try to go through them all. It is the Government's view that a wage inflationary spiral is in no one's interest. It takes the view that wage increases to chase the inflation figure never work and never have. This happened two or three times in the past decade. It always has been better for us to devote all our efforts to trying to deal with the...

Social Partnership. (3 Jul 2007)

Bertie Ahern: As the Deputy has argued previously, it is very important to take into account consumer issues in such talks, as well as sustainability in respect of energy and other areas. We will have to go back into talks on the second half of this round immediately after Christmas or before Christmas. We must look at issues of sustainability and we are committed to addressing them and looking at some...

Social Partnership. (3 Jul 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I was wrong on that occasion, as I admitted afterwards. I was told at last week's meeting that all the inspectors will be in place by Christmas.

Social Partnership. (3 Jul 2007)

Bertie Ahern: This Christmas.

Social Partnership. (3 Jul 2007)

Bertie Ahern: One can look back on the intensive work done. The anti-inflation group did some good work in 2003 in identifying, through the CSO data, indicators for the precise areas where there were inflationary pressures, and in using the agencies I mentioned earlier to tackle those issues. It tackled them directly by examining the issue of profit-taking in the relevant sectors and also through the...

Social Partnership. (3 Jul 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Tánaiste and Minister for Finance had already agreed and stated what he intends to do on mortgage interest relief in the next budget. The ICTU has put forward its case that this increase in assistance from the next budget, on top of what was done last year, will not fully mitigate the eight interest rate increases that have already been imposed and those likely in the next 12 months. I...

Social Partnership. (3 Jul 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Perhaps they have not had litigation taken against them. I am not here to defend the Competition Authority, which acts in its own role. It has completed major studies and has been involved in serious dialogue on restrictive practices, unfair competition and limited access to professions with all the major sectors. It is going through what I accept is a very long process involving various...

Social Partnership. (3 Jul 2007)

Bertie Ahern: An enormous number of cases under the provisions of Towards 2016 involve workers and management engaging in negotiations around changes in work practices, productivity and the ability to pay. They all have to abide by the terms of the provisions in Towards 2016. I do not get involved in those negotiations, either directly or indirectly. As I noted in my earlier reply, some of these issues...

Social Partnership. (3 Jul 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy should know that one of the great strengths of our system of collective bargaining, which is voluntary in nature, is that management and unions can discuss issues within the provisions of Towards 2016 every week, seeking improvements for workers and changes for employers. That happens in most of our State and private companies all of the time. Each Friday a list is published of...

Social Partnership. (3 Jul 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I recall Deputy Michael D. Higgins raising the question of the actors and actresses and the specific case. The issue was discussed, as I recall——

Social Partnership. (3 Jul 2007)

Bertie Ahern: My understanding is that there was an agreement reached.

Social Partnership. (3 Jul 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I thought the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, on behalf of SIPTU, came to an agreement with the authority.

Social Partnership. (3 Jul 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I will check my information but I thought an agreement had been reached to assist those people, most of whom were unemployed or only partially employed. I thought an agreement had been worked out, but I will return to the matter. My recollection was that in February we came to an understanding but I will check the matter again.

Social Partnership. (3 Jul 2007)

Bertie Ahern: That is correct. I recall that. On the second issue raised by the Deputy regarding the Competition Authority, we are trying to press the authority to take action to drive down prices and encourage greater competition. In the case of pharmacists, the Government has legislated for them. The pharmacy union has a negotiating right and represents its workers and no change is needed. I cannot...

Social Partnership. (3 Jul 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I do not think we are talking about dentists and pharmacists in terms of soft targets. As we know, they are some of the toughest bodies with which the State has to negotiate.

Social Partnership. (3 Jul 2007)

Bertie Ahern: They have very strong negotiating rights which they use against the State and across social welfare recipients to great effect. They have been doing so for years.

Social Partnership. (3 Jul 2007)

Bertie Ahern: We have set far higher and more ambitious targets on social and affordable housing. Some €18 billion has been provided for it in the national development plan. We have followed the affordable initiative which is making far more progress than the local authority system. It has come up with some good initiatives that have been strongly supported by the Department of Finance. Some 92% of...

Social Partnership. (3 Jul 2007)

Bertie Ahern: We need more volume but we also need local authorities to work more closely with the affordable housing schemes and to allow them to get on with their job. Most of their difficulties are not with central Government or Departments, but with local authorities. In fairness, we have provided resources and are prepared to assist them. As the construction industry finds the heat going out of the...

Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Complements of staff and existing approved ceilings of staff are decided at the beginning of each year across the health service and the public sector. The HSE must work within the figures but it decides how this will be broken down in its budgets under the normal headings of consultants, junior doctors, nurses and allied staff, paramedical staff and administrative and catering staff. The...