Results 14,741-14,760 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Crime Prevention (30 Jun 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Following discussions I had with the banks and the Garda Síochána as a result of one or two high-profile so-called tiger kidnapping events, which were successful from the criminals' point view last year, there was a significant emphasis by the Garda Síochána and the banks on further training. These gangs have to a certain extent moved down the employment ladder in the banks in that...

Commercial Rent Review (30 Jun 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The working group to which the Deputy refers was established by me in March of this year. Its terms of reference were as follows: To consider the operation of the current system for determining the rent payable on foot of a rent review clause, with particular emphasis on the arbitration process and the adequacy of the information available to all parties and, if necessary, to make such...

Commercial Rent Review (30 Jun 2010)

Dermot Ahern: As I said, the working group was expected to report by the end of June. It has asked for some additional time and its report will be published some time in July. I do not accept it was a knee-jerk reaction. It was a reaction by me to try to address some of the issues, such as the disquiet to which some people have referred regarding what they feel is a lack of transparency in the...

Commercial Rent Review (30 Jun 2010)

Dermot Ahern: There is no hiding behind the Constitution and we can only act under the Constitution. We can only act under the aegis of the law as we ourselves pass it and it is imperative, under contract law, that if two parties enter into a contract freely with legal and other advice, the Oireachtas cannot pass a law to change that.

Commercial Rent Review (30 Jun 2010)

Dermot Ahern: We are on the same page with regard to having difficulty with the circumstances of certain people who entered into rents at the peak of the Celtic tiger era. We cannot pass a law here that would rewrite that contract unless both parties are willing to do it. In many cases landlords are renegotiating and in some cases they are not. It may very well be that a landlord or a body which...

Commercial Rent Review (30 Jun 2010)

Dermot Ahern: None of those instances is relevant with regard to this issue, which boils down to the elephant in the corner which nobody is mentioning. If we were to intervene and change contracts that were validly entered into without the consent of the two parties involved and where one is objecting, we would have to provide compensation. The taxpayer would have to provide this to people disadvantaged...

Commercial Rent Review (30 Jun 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The parties are ideally placed to enter into a renegotiation provided both are willing to do so.

Commercial Rent Review (30 Jun 2010)

Dermot Ahern: They do not need facilitation and can do it themselves. The facilitation is already there.

Commercial Rent Review (30 Jun 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The Deputy is indicating we should bring in a law mandating one of the parties, against its wishes, to accept something less than was originally contracted for.

Commercial Rent Review (30 Jun 2010)

Dermot Ahern: They are facilitated.

Commercial Rent Review (30 Jun 2010)

Dermot Ahern: That is the problem.

Commercial Rent Review (30 Jun 2010)

Dermot Ahern: If there is a willingness on both sides the State does not need to intervene.

Commercial Rent Review (30 Jun 2010)

Dermot Ahern: It can be done among the parties. There is a public interest but we cannot pass laws in the Oireachtas against our Constitution or contract law on the basis of public interest without providing compensation. The Deputy does not address this and neither does the Labour Party Bill.

Garda Recruitment (30 Jun 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The purpose of organising a Garda recruitment competition at this time is to establish a panel of approved candidates who will be available to meet future Garda recruitment needs. I was happy to obtain the approval of my colleague the Minister for Finance for this competition which was launched on 4 June 2010. This forward planning is necessary given the lead time involved in establishing...

Garda Recruitment (30 Jun 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Deputy Flanagan appears to have forgotten the Fine Gael budgetary proposals which, had we accepted them, would have resulted in not one extra garda. We would not have been able to replace any of the retired garda had those proposals been accepted.

Garda Recruitment (30 Jun 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Some 776 garda retired last year.

Garda Recruitment (30 Jun 2010)

Dermot Ahern: As I stated in my reply, there were 14,571 garda in May 2010, which is an increase on the 14,426 garda in the force at the same time last year, which I believe answers the Deputy's question. If 776 garda retired and the figures increased by more than 100, obviously there were more garda taken on than retired during the past year.

Garda Recruitment (30 Jun 2010)

Dermot Ahern: In regard to senior gardaí, I obtained during the past year a number of derogations from the moratorium in respect of public service appointments. For example, on 26 May 2009, the Government approved the appointment of three chief superintendents and ten superintendents. Previous derogations culminated in the sanction of 170 promotions in February 2010. On 2 February, 28 sergeants were...

Garda Recruitment (30 Jun 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Fine Gael are at it day-in day-out. It continues to criticise the Government for reducing this and that but does not come up with suggestions in terms of what should be cut. I decided when I took up this portfolio that I would have to cut in some areas in order to prioritise crime and that is what I have done. Investment in respect of garda numbers, CAB and addressing gangland crime has...

Garda Recruitment (30 Jun 2010)

Dermot Ahern: On the existing panel, I understand approximately 150 applicants are available for recruitment. These are trainees who are called strictly in order as placed on the panel. There is also an additional 200 people on the panel who have not completed medical, physical and vetting tests. The issue of how many will be brought on from this panel to the new one is dependent on the number of...