Results 8,501-8,520 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Order of Business (9 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I take the point that we should avoid rushing legislation in the last fortnight. Already, there are a dozen or 14 measures before the House. I would like to see all those passed. We have cleared a Bill today and there are a few more coming through. We could give a fairly accurate assessment of when and how we will deal with this legislation over the next two months. There is no...

Order of Business (9 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The matter should be discussed but it has not been the convention of the House, which dictates we have Question Time mirrored to each Cabinet Minister. We have always followed the convention.

Order of Business (9 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: That will be early next year.

Order of Business (9 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is awaiting Committee Stage.

Order of Business (9 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It will come through shortly.

Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I join Deputy Kenny and, I am sure, everybody in the House in conveying deepest sympathies to the family of Manuela Riedo. It was a callous murder of a girl who had only recently arrived in Ireland. The Garda Síochána has launched a major murder investigation and whatever resources are necessary to apprehend the killer will be made available. The decision at the beginning of August, on...

Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Several of my colleagues have gone to the region and I have met several of those organisations. I met all the main organisations who sought meetings with me in the middle of August.

Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: As the Deputy knows, the senior officials group has put forward a programme, on which we are working, to address the obvious implications for Shannon, and the Government admits there are implications. Those implications have perhaps, at times, been broadened out in a way with which we do not agree but there are negative impacts for tourism and business people wishing to travel. We have...

Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Kenny will recall that the board did not make that decision — it was made by the senior management of the company.

Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: If Deputies had been around in early August they would have known that to have been the case. The position in law is that it is not possible for Government to intervene directly to restore the Shannon-Heathrow service and it is not open to the Government to reverse the Aer Lingus decision. That is the position.

Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: That is the legal position. It is the law that shareholders cannot overturn management decisions. It is no good having a debate about what is legally and factually incorrect. Deputy Kenny has asked his questions and he does not need help from other Members. Clearly there are negative impacts arising from a loss of connectivity. Deputy Kenny asked how this coincides with regional...

Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Aer Lingus is launching new services to Washington, Orlando and San Francisco.

Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Yes, from Shannon. Experience suggests that 50% of North American visitors can be expected to include a trip to the mid-west region. Other initiatives can be taken. Deputy Kenny is right that this has created concerns for the business and tourism communities, however we have met all the interested parties and we are acutely concerned about them. We are trying our best, if it is possible...

Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I will respond to the Deputy's three questions. The interests of the business organisations relate to connectivity from London to other destinations. It is not about getting to London as there are flights to Luton, Gatwick and Stansted. Ryanair has announced its intention of increasing its daily flight numbers so there are seven flights per day from Shannon to London and the——

Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I am answering the question. The business groups are not arguing about Heathrow, it is the issue of connectivity. Clearly we would prefer a direct flight from Shannon to Heathrow. In response to the Deputy's question on how we plan to do that, we are assisting the Shannon Airport Authority in a range of discussions, but no company is involved. I do not want to create a grey area on...

Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: In terms of industrial relations, obviously the Government takes a keen interest in any major company with industrial relations difficulties. I have urged both sides to co-operate with each other as it is in their own strategic interests, and their own jobs. The Labour Relations Commission stated this morning that it is available to help, and whether it is necessary to bring in another...

Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Gilmore should remember from his past that industrial relations difficulties are not solved in Leinster House.

Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Labour Relations Commission is available to all sides in the dispute, who are quite capable themselves of dealing with the issues. They know they must resolve the dispute and should deal with the situation. Deputy Gilmore should also know that the directors of a company will always listen to their senior management.

Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: If the senior management is of the view that the executive is doing the right thing and that it will not agree to put commercial obligations on it which it does not believe is right, the board will go along with that.

Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: A board supports the decisions of management. That is how a board works. It is not for management to make decisions on a daily basis only to have the board overturn those decisions.