Results 9,601-9,620 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I suppose that if this is the logic, implementing something that is not in the programme for Government constitutes total consistency.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I wish to answer Deputy Kenny, if he wants an answer.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Given the need to manage the transition to a new system appropriately——

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——and to enable conservation measures to be implemented to deal with these issues and particularly to conserve our water, with which everyone in the House yesterday was in agreement, the Government is considering the length of a transition period. The length of that period has not yet been decided. While it can be up to the end of 2009, the Government must decide on its length. As I...

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: As the Deputy is aware, they will not be there over the Christmas holidays, unless things changed this year.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The statement will be released before their return.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Moreover, the Cabinet will meet on 4 January, before the schools return, and will deal with these issues. Yesterday and the day before I looked into the number of schools that have received large bills and not many have received such bills.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Not many. In the case of a number of schools that had received such bills during the year, they had been negotiated downwards with the local authorities. Others that received quite large bills were the result of arrears. I detect that Members are not really interested in the details. However, we will work it out.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: We will work it out and implement our programme for Government in a highly satisfactory manner.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I was hoping Deputy Kenny would mention a hugely successful budget, a good legislative programme and a considerably higher employment rate.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I hoped he would mention the continued development of our health service and education system and congratulate the Government on implementing its programme for Government.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: We are fully committed to the implementation of the water framework directive, as I stated yesterday. It is appropriate and necessary for conserving water as a national resource and it was agreed with the European Union in 2003. In a number of areas, there is a phase-in period and an implementation period. If the measure were just implemented on a usage basis in all schools, they would...

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I am just answering Deputy Kenny's questions. We are endeavouring to ascertain, with the local authorities, the basis on which we can operate. Let me give an example. On the basis of information supplied by the authorities — they did not all supply it — the combined charge for water and waste water services across local authorities varied from 0.99 cent/cu.m. to 2.62 cent/cu.m. and the...

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is domestic. Parents of pupils in Ireland are not paying this. That is the key issue.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Kenny should note that a list of issues has been made available several months ago.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I hope to be able to issue one comprehensive statement as early as I can have it agreed. I have asked officials to meet over the next few days to try to have it finished before Christmas. We will try to clear it at the Government meeting on 4 January.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is correct to say that the allowance has not been increased. The Minister informs me that he has been in discussions with the groups about that particular issue. However, the cost to the State has increased. Modern accommodation has been purchased with taxpayers' money and the State has often had to pay high capital costs towards such direct provision. Services, ancillary facilities...

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is a matter for the Minister in terms of what he can or cannot do. He has been in discussions. I am not getting into that, but I do not believe that there will be any changes, to be frank. We have considerable guidelines that we have followed under both the UN and with our own policies. We have been fair and generous with direct provision in this country. We have not taken the routes...

EU Summits. (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 7, inclusive, together. I attended the second EU-Africa Summit in Lisbon on 8 December, accompanied by the Minister of State with responsibility for overseas development, Deputy Michael Kitt. The overall aim of the summit was to strengthen the partnership with Africa and to mark a new phase in EU-Africa relations. I think it broadly achieved that aim....

EU Summits. (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Kenny probably knows it was decided at the European Council that rather than letting Mr. Mugabe take over the summit, we would make one trenchant statement, delivered by the Chancellor of Germany, Ms Angela Merkel. She did that well, and thereafter we kept to the business of Africa, rather than allowing the summit to degenerate into everyone from Europe having a cut, and the Africans...