Results 8,361-8,380 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Constitutional Amendments. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I will ask the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Smith, to arrange for a full and detailed briefing on this matter for Deputy Shatter as Fine Gael spokesperson in this area. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was ratified by Dáil Éireann on 21 September 1992 and entered into force in Ireland on 21 October 1992. Ireland subsequently...

Constitutional Amendments. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I will respond to Deputy Gilmore's questions in the order in which they were raised. On the reform treaty, as I stated last year, it can be reasonably assumed that a referendum will be necessary. However, a decision in that regard cannot be made until the Intergovernmental Conference document has been agreed. When that document is completed the Attorney General will examine it. He cannot...

Constitutional Amendments. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: A decision cannot be made in the absence of a document. The Attorney General cannot make a decision until he has examined the final document. We are anxious to move on the issue of children's rights. Much work has been done. The Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Brendan Smith, is anxious to have the all-party Oireachtas committee re-established...

Constitutional Amendments. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: In regard to the reform agenda, we should not have to wait too long for the outcome of the IGC. I hope we will be able to recommend it to the people as a good agreement for the country and the future of Europe. I hope we will get it passed. Regarding the Deputy's remarks on another referendum, the issue is not the same. We made a number of changes in regard to the referendum on the second...

Constitutional Amendments. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: We will endeavour to have it passed, with the Deputy's support.

Constitutional Amendments. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Costello is correct that the reform treaty is substantially the same as the work we had completed during the Irish Presidency. Obviously it does not carry the status of a constitutional treaty because people in this and other countries raised issues in that regard. Amendments and changes have been made to it. Some issues were agreed in the subsequent discussions earlier this year...

Constitutional Amendments. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I would like to see it happen as soon as possible. Deputy Brendan Smith is anxious to progress the matter and I understand the Whips will be dealing with the committee structures generally in the next week or so.

Communications Unit. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 7, inclusive, together. The total costs incurred by the communications unit to date in 2007 are €280,143 with €130,228 being a direct cost to my Department and €29,983 on average being borne by the five other Departments who have staff seconded to the unit. The estimated annual cost for the communications unit in 2007 is €373,524. The unit...

Communications Unit. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The communications unit is run by the Civil Service according to Civil Service standards and protocol. There was no change in the role of the communications unit during the election period. When the election campaign was referred to across the range of news programmes that are monitored, the unit, keeping within its role, did not monitor media coverage of a political nature and did not...

Communications Unit. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: They do not do the weather forecast. I have not answered all Deputy Kenny's questions. A number of staff changes have occurred in the communications unit. The Progressive Democrats Party still has the same programme manager. Obviously the Green Party-Comhaontas Glas, has its own staff. From my office, one person has left and one has retired.

Communications Unit. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The communications unit is staffed and run to Civil Service standards. The information it documents is provided to several hundred people in Departments, merely giving the headlines of the hour or the day and, where necessary, giving transcripts to Departments. Previously, Departments used to source and purchase this information from outside companies, with several Departments sourcing the...

Communications Unit. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I have heard this suggestion several times. Information available to Ministers and heads of Departments is not made available to Opposition Deputies or, for that matter, Government Deputies.

Communications Unit. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: All non-political data could not be made available across Departments. The Deputy cannot be serious. The officials of the communications unit are part of the Civil Service structure and are answerable in the normal course to the Secretary General of the Department. They work on a strictly non-political basis. The unit deals only with the Government Press Office and with press officers in...

Communications Unit. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The unit takes the headlines of the day as they are. If an item has a political twist the unit is not allowed take it. Such an item must be dropped.

Order of Business (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is proposed to take No. 10, motion re ministerial rota for parliamentary questions, and No.10a, motion of confidence. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that the Dáil shall sit later than 8.30 p.m. tonight and business shall be interrupted on the adjournment of Private Members' business which shall be No. 16, motion re cancer services. This shall be taken for...

Order of Business (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: These are unusual circumstances but, through no fault of mine, a motion of confidence in me has been tabled. This must take priority and while these are important issues we will deal with the cancer debate tonight and Shannon airport tomorrow.

Confidence in Taoiseach: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I move: That Dáil Éireann: —affirms confidence in the Taoiseach and the Government; —recognises the enormous contribution made by An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, TD, to Irish public life including his many achievements in: —patient and skilful leadership of the peace process which has resulted in a restoration of democratic institutions in Northern Ireland and a new era in North/South and...

Confidence in Taoiseach: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: My independent expert, Mr. Stronge, having analysed the documentation with the branch and from the remit room in AIB headquarters, has concluded that the evidence does not substantiate a lodgment of US$45,000. There has been much confusion about the basis for the opinion of Mr. Stronge. He prepared his preliminary report that was submitted to the tribunal having heard all the evidence. That...

Confidence in Taoiseach: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Everyone in the Chamber has experience of forgetting matters or of having only partial recollection of important events in their lives. Through the process of discussion and the revelation of other facts, new memories and recollections come to the fore. To err in one's recollection is normal and honest. The essential facts of the transactions which have been the subject of the tribunal...

Confidence in Taoiseach: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I have not come to expect consistency from the Opposition. One day it wants to leave my affairs to the decision of the tribunal and the next it wants to pre-empt its work.