Results 10,321-10,340 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Order of Business (8 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: The heads of the Bill have been approved and it is hoped it will be published this session, which is up to 3 July.

Order of Business (8 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: Perhaps Second Stage of the first Bill will be taken but it is unlikely Second Stage will be taken in the case of the second Bill.

Order of Business (8 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Hayes is right that the heads of the Bill have not yet been cleared. However, I understand it is a short Bill with fewer than ten heads. Once that work is completed, it should still get through the House. It relates to the education and VEC Acts and is not too complex. It is important that it is passed before the summer.

Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (8 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: When I signed the reform treaty in Lisbon last December together with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, it was in the full knowledge that it represented an essential part of the process of moving on for the European Union. The EU is moving on from a period of reflection and consultation and from a phase of talking about institutional reform to a phase where the Union can...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (8 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113 and 114 together. My Department had no spending on recruitment advertising during 2007 or 2006. The Deputy will be aware that recruitment to my Department is done through the Public Appointments Service.

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (8 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: Reducing the level of printed matter is a key element of my Department's "Green Policy" . We continually review the possibility of reducing the amount of waste produced, as well as increasing the amount that can be disposed of through recycling. The reuse of envelopes internally, together with double sided printing and photocopying, have become standard practice throughout my Department....

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (8 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: The information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the table below. Organisational Review ProgrammeI agreed last September to the appointment of the following three persons to the Steering Committee on the Organisational Review Programme (ORP): Mr. Denis Casey, Group Chief Executive, Irish Life and Permanent; Ms. Jan Mottram, HR Director, Vodafone Ireland; and Mr. John Quilliam, School of...

Written Answers — Energy Efficiency: Energy Efficiency (8 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: My Department relies on the Office of Public Works (OPW) for the provision of accommodation including maintenance and refurbishment which includes the provision of efficient heating and lighting in offices. This Department endeavours to operate heating and lighting systems in the most efficient manner. The OPW has an energy awareness programme underway in all large buildings, State Buildings,...

Written Answers — Statutory Instruments: Statutory Instruments (8 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: Below is an outline of the current relevant statutory instruments falling within my Department's remit. The purpose of these instruments is to provide the necessary statutory basis for collection by the Central Statistics Office of statistical data that is required for EU purposes. S.I. No. S.I. Title S.I. No. 136 of 1993: European Communities (Intrastat) Regulations, 1993 S.I. No. 466...

Leaders' Questions (9 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: I thank Deputy Kenny for raising the matter of the particular hospital. In my tenure as Taoiseach I have been in hospitals, homes and community homes up and down the country. I have seen the enormous improvements and successes but also the enormous challenges. I have seen some of the community hospitals that, by their location or the age of the clientele, have pressing needs. I have also...

Leaders' Questions (9 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: As I said, the hospital in Leopardstown is a particular hospital. I think that Deputy Kenny knows we have 53 acute hospitals across the country and very few of those have not had major capital refurbishments and an injection of capital in recent years. Leopardstown has its own development plans. Recently, it has had its own campaign in inviting Deputies from all sides of the House to look...

Leaders' Questions (9 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: There has been an increase of almost 45,000 staff in recent years in the health service.

Leaders' Questions (9 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: In a short number of years, there has been an increase of 30,000 staff and many of those people have gone into dedicated sectors. As to why it takes so long, as Deputy Kenny knows, a lot of the difficulties lie in the fact that it takes a long time from an approval being given by the Department of Health and Children or the HSE and the appointment of a design team to going through the stages...

Leaders' Questions (9 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: The reality is that any major development from start to finish takes seven or eight years. That is the lifespan involved. There is also incessant demand. Even when one improves the facilities to cater for the numbers that one wants, people come back and look for far more additional staff to do the same work in a new building. That has its own difficulties and delays. It has delayed and...

Leaders' Questions (9 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: In practically every part of the country we are seeing new facilities. Leopardstown has its own development plan and is going through its own phases with the HSE and the Department of Health and Children to try to get its plan. I will get an update on how that stands. From the Government's point of view, in this year's capital programme, even in tougher times, we are pushing ahead with the...

Leaders' Questions (9 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: This matter has been around for some time. It is not true to say that it has only been raised in the past year or two. Buyers of development land can reduce stamp duty liability through mechanisms such as licensing, resting on contract and long-term lease arrangements. Under these mechanisms, land is purchased for development without conveyancing, transfer of legal title or submission of...

Leaders' Questions (9 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: There are arrangements for maintaining the current arrangements in the long term, because of the negative impact of the provision on the availability of development land and the supply of housing. The Government must weigh up the balance between the benefits of the tax revenues that would arise from the introduction of this section and the potential loss to the Exchequer——

Leaders' Questions (9 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: ——of the reduction of activity in the building sector and its impact on society and the economy.

Leaders' Questions (9 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: As the Deputies in the Labour Party may recall, yesterday I referred to the first quarter. Deputy Gilmore asked me about the income figures for the first quarter and I replied the issue did not pertain to the taxes from employment, which have increased by 5%, but to the area of capital gains. This is because there is insufficient purchasing and development going on.

Leaders' Questions (9 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: The difficulty lies in stimulating the industry. One cannot worry about construction employment on Tuesday and then try on Wednesday to trigger something that will affect construction employment.