Results 10,421-10,440 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Order of Business (22 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: Yes, there is the Tribunal of Inquiries Bill. However, I understand the point and I will ask the Attorney General about the point raised by the Deputy.

Order of Business (22 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy has raised this issue, which was mentioned earlier today, a number of times. While we had agreed on a selected senior counsel to take up this role and everyone was satisfied with that, as has been stated, we have encountered difficulties in this regard. I am trying to resolve the issue and I hope to do so as quickly as I can. However, I will provide an update for the two...

Written Answers — Cabinet Committees: Cabinet Committees (22 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: The membership of the Cabinet Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security is listed below: Taoiseach — Chair; Tánaiste and Minister for Finance; Minister for Health and Children; Minister for Transport; Minister for Foreign Affairs; Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment; Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government;...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (22 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: There was no expenditure specifically on leadership training by my Department in 1997. However, following a tendering process in mid-1996, a contract was agreed with Open Management Training Ltd to provide: (i) Staff Appraisal/Performance Management training to junior and mid-management Civil Servants; and (ii) Management Development training to be delivered to Civil Servants serving at...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (22 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: My Department and Agencies under my Department have engaged consultancy services from a total of 29 individuals and private firms. The table below lists Consultants hired by my Department and it includes the following details: the names of the Consultants; the type of firm (individual or private firm); the amount paid to each Consultant in 2007 (does not include fees not yet paid); the basis...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (22 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: I wish to inform the Deputy that no areas or functions have been devolved from me to a State or statutory agency. The Central Statistics Office (CSO), which operates under the aegis of my Department, is a statutorily independent body and performs its functions in accordance with the Statistics Act, 1993. Section 13 of the Act provides that the Director General of the CSO shall have the sole...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (22 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: Significant progress has been made on a number of fronts, including eGovernment, since the publication of "New Connections", the last action plan for the Information Society. Work is ongoing on the development of the new Plan which will take account of considerable developments since the last plan provide for a new approach to technology in government contain a number of targeted initiatives,...

Written Answers — Departmental Advertising: Departmental Advertising (22 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: My Department has engaged in the following advertising campaigns for each of the past five years. (1) The Taskforce on Active Citizenship The Taskforce on Active Citizenship was established in April 2006 under the Department of the Taoiseach. The Taskforce conducted a public consultation process during 2006 and presented a set of recommendations to Government in March 2007, which included...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (22 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: My Department has given no funding or financial support to any agency, body, community, religious or other group or organisation, in the United States during the period 2000 to date in 2008.

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: When I took over as Taoiseach ten projects per year were dealt with under the schools building programme, on average, and that was the contribution to capital projects. We now spend €4.5 billion under the national development plan investing in school buildings, refurbishing existing schools and providing new ones in developing areas. We have done this every year for the past seven or...

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: Regarding Leopardstown Park Hospital, there is capital funding in this area and I have raised the issue that the Deputy brought up. This is not the only matter on the list admittedly — there are a number hospitals in the programme — but a few hundred million euro per year is being put into the development of such hospitals. The Deputy mentioned waiting lists and other areas. The other...

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: There is a new hospital in Cork with a new accident and emergency department. The Deputy should try to assist in dealing with staffing levels there because the matter would be simplified if excessively high staff levels were not sought.

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Kenny will recall that some of his predecessors — admittedly not him at the time — and Members from my side pressed for the establishment of a unified health system. When the health strategy went through the House in 2001, there was unanimous agreement that the old health board system set up in the early 1970s under the Health Act was not adequate to deal with the diverse demands...

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: It was believed a unified system was the right way to proceed. Incidentally, several other countries in Europe are introducing unified systems of health care. Deputy Kenny asked if there are difficulties with modernising, integrating and introducing standard practices to an old system that has been there in one form or another since the foundation of the State. It is a mammoth task. Deputy...

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: The reality is that people in the past ten years are living four years longer because we have a good health service.

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: The fact that we have eliminated the cardiovascular surgery waiting lists——

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: We have eliminated the cardiothoracic surgery lists.

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: Our survival rates in all cancer treatments are far better than even five years ago. We have built the health services up with 130,000 people working in them. While there are administrative areas we have to deal with, the health services for the Irish people are better than ever.

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: I thought I was going to be asked about Parnell Park for which I have no responsibility. To be honest — and I have to be totally honest——--

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2008)

Bertie Ahern: Since it is my last question as Taoiseach, it is only fair I should give Deputy Gilmore my best answer and best advice. My best advice is that since he could not beat me with the peann luaidhe, he should go to the old machines because he would have a far better chance with them.