Results 9,881-9,900 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: It is not a case of putting the cart before the horse. One cannot negotiate a fee with somebody if one has no arrangement. Let us not be unreasonable about this. It does not seem an unreasonable position for the sides to take and they should consider it.

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: This Government has done more than probably any government in Europe in respect of low pay. We were the first government in Europe to bring in a minimum wage. We have progressively improved that, in conjunction with the Labour Court, employers and workers. We have removed the workers from the tax net, which has had a significant effect. In respect of the two issues mentioned by Deputy...

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: We are anxious to progress the legislation. The Minister has completed two of the Bills. He has been in consultation with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. He wants to bring the legislation to fruition in a way that addresses aspects not in Towards 2016, but that arose subsequently. The Government supports the legislation. I explained the issue of agency workers in detail to the House...

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: To answer the last question, we are examining last weekend's decision. The Government has to take its own action because the whole system of the JLCs, which are statutory bodies, as Deputy Gilmore and I fully understand, was established under the Industrial Relations Act and their role has always been to fix the minimum rates of pay and the regulation of employments. The system was...

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on housing, infrastructure and PPPs last met on 12 December 2007. The next meeting is scheduled for 12 March 2008. The Cabinet committee is supported in its work by a cross-departmental team of senior officials from relevant Departments. The role of the cross-departmental team is to identify and assist in...

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: I always answer that but the Deputy ignores it.

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: I have listened to the arguments of businesses on the matter of broadband. There are now 800,000 broadband subscribers in the country, including 90,000 mobile subscribers. At the end of September last year, that represented an increase of 81% on the previous 12 months. We may have had a slow start with broadband but it is clear that the market is growing rapidly. If we maintain the...

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: I will raise both of those issues with the Ministers, Deputies Eamon Ryan and Mary Hanafin. There is a map-chart of the 10% of areas that remain to be done and the State will have to undertake that. I do not claim to be an expert but the problem as I understand it is that some of those blackspots are a bit like the Black Valley in Kerry all those years ago.

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: As I understand it, some of the blackspots——

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: ——where the national broadband scheme does not work are also areas where wireless does not work. That is the difficulty so they have to operate some other technology. From meetings, I am aware the private sector shows no great interest in some of these areas for obvious reasons so it has to be done under the national broadband scheme. I do not want to get into the detail of the...

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: I will not answer for the traffic committee of Dublin Corporation. I left that behind me 20 years or more ago so I will not deal with that. I was in Brussels last year when there was a three-car crash. Brussels has many highways and roads but that caused a six-hour closure of the entire city.

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: On the more serious issues, Deputy Gilmore made a point on the national development plan. The answer, as he knows, is that 20 years ago this country was working on CSO figures which showed that by 2010 we would have a population of approximately 3.4 million if we were lucky, but we have ended up with a population of 4.3 million and going the other way — 1 million more people. Dublin...

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: I used to be.

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: I think that Bill will be in the House this session. If you ask me, other cities, for example, Paris, Rome and Athens, seem far more aggressive and have a range of plans, and we must do the same. The bus corridors that have been rolled out have been a success.

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: There are 100 more buses on them this year. The number of buses is increasing. The bus corridors have proved a success. They are opposed by many people in many places, but I have always supported them. Work has been done on the quays and the tunnel is the biggest engineering job we have completed. It has been highly successful, despite all the games played with regard to leaks and...

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: They should never have been here in the first place. They should have been banned, as I said several times. More imaginative proposals could be developed. There are very few park and ride facilities. In other cities these facilities are the norm and work well. Luas capacity will increase by 40% and we will have more trams. The trams we have on the red and green lines will be extended....

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: They are happening. The Deputy is worried about a car breaking down. However, I remind the Deputy his party was outside the gates of Leinster House criticising Deputy Mary O'Rourke and me about the Luas and saying it would never happen.

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: I never heard the Opposition Deputies say how great it was when it was set up. The metro line is now being planned. We are putting billions into infrastructure and things are happening for the first time ever. There are improvements also on rail lines and we now have an hourly train to Cork and Belfast and an improved service to Sligo. We should acknowledge the incredible improvements...

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: There are many proposals. I will talk to my councillors and let Deputy Gilmore talk to his. If they use some——

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: Is that the only issue? I think there are excellent proposals.