Results 1,641-1,660 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern
- Leaders' Questions. (4 May 2005)
Bertie Ahern: I will ask a competent person to do so.
- Leaders' Questions. (4 May 2005)
Bertie Ahern: The Deputy asked me about two issues. His first question concerned the statement by the Minister for Agriculture and Food that 1% of agricultural land is being made available for the market. That is a matter for the market. I cannot force people who own agricultural land to sell it. If they wish to use it for agricultural purposes, that is a matter for them. If I were to bring proposals to...
- Leaders' Questions. (4 May 2005)
Bertie Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte would not support me on that measure if I, or anybody else, brought it to the House. On the Deputy's second question, it has long been pointed out that we need prison accommodation to replace Mountjoy. It has been highlighted by many reports over many decades, not to mention Judge Kinlan's recent report. A long process was entered into, which included the examination of...
- Leaders' Questions. (4 May 2005)
Bertie Ahern: Perhaps some land costs â¬200,000 per acre and other land is worth far more. We have seen sites in this and other citiesââ
- Leaders' Questions. (4 May 2005)
Bertie Ahern: In general, land prices have gone up from under â¬5,000 per acre ten years ago to about â¬14,000 per acre now. That is the going rate rather than the prices which have been mentioned. Sometimes trying to relocate a prison is difficult while at other times relocation is welcomed. I was Minister for Finance some years ago when a prison was opened in Roscommon. People were very glad to see the...
- Leaders' Questions. (4 May 2005)
Bertie Ahern: Obviously, relevant matters relating to planning and environmental impact assessments will be looked at in due course by the officials involved in trying to make this a proper location.
- Appointments to State Boards. (4 May 2005)
Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together. I refer the Deputy to the reply I gave to a similar question on 5 October 2004. I am circulating in the Official Report a table showing the appointments which have been made since then. State Board-Agency Name of Appointee Occupation-Organisation Date of Appointment National Economic and Social Forum â â â There...
- Appointments to State Boards. (4 May 2005)
Bertie Ahern: To which board does the Deputy refer?
- Appointments to State Boards. (4 May 2005)
Bertie Ahern: I believe the overall figure for women on boards is approximately 40%. The figure for the NESF is 44% and the figure mentioned by the Deputy probably refers to the NESC. The big problem regarding the boards for which I have responsibility, those which come under social partnership and outside organisations, is getting the nominating groups to appoint women. This is an ongoing battle. We have...
- Consultancy Contracts. (4 May 2005)
Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 to 7, inclusive, together. As I outlined to the House on 1 March last, in so far as the report makes recommendations for improvements in the procurement procedures, additional procedures have been approved by the Government for incorporation into the Cabinet handbook and are available on my Department's website. Those procedures will give the Secretary...
- Consultancy Contracts. (4 May 2005)
Bertie Ahern: They apply to existing and new Ministers â and will forever, I hope. I have implemented the recommendations Mr. Quigley made regarding my Department. He also made recommendations about other Departments which I hope have also been implemented. They have certainly been given to the other Departments to implement. The guidelines apply in particular, as Mr. Quigley asked and recommended, in...
- Consultancy Contracts. (4 May 2005)
Bertie Ahern: If somebody is working in or associated with a Ministry, normally the group travelling is cleared beforehand. In the case of a European Council meeting, the full delegations from all Departments are put to me for approval before they go. If a Department was making a case for an outside expert to come, a rare occurrence, my consideration is that it is not a good idea. It is better that the...
- Consultancy Contracts. (4 May 2005)
Bertie Ahern: Is Deputy Rabbitte asking if there is a procedure if the tender is under a certain amount?
- Consultancy Contracts. (4 May 2005)
Bertie Ahern: Regardless, if it is directly associated with a Minister, it still should be checked. That is my understanding, subject to correction. I do not think there is a monetary amount on it. It is up to individual Departments and Ministers to satisfy themselves whether particular tenders or contracts need to be referred to the Secretary General. It is, however, now a requirement of the Cabinet...
- Consultancy Contracts. (4 May 2005)
Bertie Ahern: It has been implemented in the Cabinet guidelines. The book has not been reprinted but it is on the website. The Deputy asked if an adviser can be of a political nature. The report does not mean an advisor cannot be of a political nature. Quigley highlighted that if someone is being appointed on that basis, the appointment must go through the procedures. That is what is set down, not that a...
- Consultancy Contracts. (4 May 2005)
Bertie Ahern: The relevance of the issues raised has served a useful purpose. Government guidelines and procedures have been changed to deal with these issues and to ensure they do not happen again. If public relations or communications issues arise, they go through a different procedure, particularly if they are associated or there is a direct service element to the Minister or Minister of State. In...
- Departmental Expenditure. (4 May 2005)
Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 9 together. The cost of the communications unit for the first quarter of 2005 was â¬78,783. Of this, â¬32,017 was a direct cost to my Department, with on average â¬9,353 being borne by the five other Departments that have staff seconded to the unit. The cost of the communications unit for the first quarter of 2004 was â¬75,069. Of this, â¬29,560 was...
- Departmental Expenditure. (4 May 2005)
Bertie Ahern: It is confined to the greater Dublin area. It does not monitor media outlets outside Dublin.
- Departmental Expenditure. (4 May 2005)
Bertie Ahern: The costs highlight the good value the unit provides in so far it not only gives information to Ministers, but a host of people within the Civil Service. The information is up-to-date and factual news material. It gives Departments transcripts and other materials which they require, mainly from national radio, which cuts down on large costs charged by several companies in this business.
- Departmental Expenditure. (4 May 2005)
Bertie Ahern: The unit covers local Dublin radio stations and the national media. The information is given to Ministers, their advisers and senior civil servants when they are abroad. The information can be dispersed through ISDN systems and text messaging. It is not available to every Member because they have that information if they listen to the morning news. The unit simply puts it into a handy form...