Results 1,681-1,700 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Programmes for Government. (10 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I disagree with the Deputy that the unions would have taken a separate view because the initiative was that the Government would provide up to 10,000 sites for affordable housing. Nobody involved in social partnership believed they would provide and build the houses and get it all finished. As we know it takes a developer, who owns the land, almost six years from start to finish. So nobody...

Programmes for Government. (10 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: On the affordable housing initiative, Part V has always been taken with the lands and social partnership. On the broad area of social partnership, this year 3,000 affordable units are projected under various affordable schemes, but in the social partnership context, Part V was taken with the housing initiative. On the Deputy's question regarding the other schemes not being taken in, I agree...

Programmes for Government. (10 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The value of social partnership is that those within the process can bring forward their own ideas and initiate change in areas where they desire it. All the other social partners, based on the necessary consensus that has operated for almost 19 years, try to have a major input into policy. Across a host of areas, including the national anti-poverty strategy, social housing, legislation and...

Programmes for Government. (10 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I will refer the Deputy's last question to the Minister, Deputy Roche, as I do not have a breakdown of the figures. Some €2 billion is being allocated this year to fund the housing needs of approximately 13,000. On education, while some 5,000 additional posts have been provided, the main issue in Sustaining Progress has been the attempt to improve education in the areas of disadvantage and...

Programmes for Government. (10 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I do not have details on that question. I will pass on the Deputy's remarks to the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, who is dealing with that, but I think I replied to correspondence the organisation sent me some time ago. Most such organisations which receive funding would, in some way or another, be critical of and would make submissions critical of the Government, so I do not think that is the...

Programmes for Government. (10 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: What is it?

Programmes for Government. (10 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I knew he appointed additional inspectors. I thought the figure was 20. I accept those numbers. I accept the labour inspectorate must be vigilant in this area. The inspectorate deals with complaints from the public, the trade union movement and from employees. It is always looking for additional staff and resources but it is still a good unit. In the case of Gama, as soon as it was brought to...

Programmes for Government. (10 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Yes. They argued it would be useful if agencies such as CERT, the Labour Relations Commission and the Labour Court were all brought together and that it would resolve issues of competitiveness or that fed from competitiveness. I believe I was the last Minister for Labour and many years have passed since that change was made. At the time, it was strongly argued that the change was both...

Programmes for Government. (10 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Which tax did the Deputy have in mind?

Programmes for Government. (10 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Sargent is correct in saying the national climate change strategy is being reviewed. I raised this issue before in the context of the plan for some environmental groups to form part of one of the pillars of social partnership. I have no difficulty with that. The response of the environmental groups in question was that the sustainable development group, to which many of these groups...

Programmes for Government. (10 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I will not argue with the Deputy because I am not involved, however, that was the reply I was given at the time. I will raise that issue again but I think there was a desire on the part of the environmental groups in question to hold on to that mechanism rather than be swamped in a bigger group where they might receive a limited amount of time. I will ask for an update on the issue but that...

Programmes for Government. (10 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I care about the issue.

Programmes for Government. (10 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I think Deputy Ó Caoláin misunderstands the purpose of the social housing initiative.

Programmes for Government. (10 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I will explain the purpose of the social housing initiative. At that time, the normal process of local authority house construction was in existence and the Government spent approximately €2 billion in social housing initiatives. There was great concern because the rate of inflation was more than 20% on first-time buyers; the rate is 1% or 2% today. It was believed that the Government...

Programmes for Government. (10 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: ——that is not the process. The initiative was——

Programmes for Government. (10 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: ——to search State-owned lands to determine whether we could get 10,000 houses. People were sceptical that we would be able to provide affordable housing in this way within the programme. We examined all Departments and agencies and attained a number of over 10,000. Some of these houses are under construction, some are operating as swaps and others must go through the formal planning...

Programmes for Government. (10 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I will answer Deputy Gerard Murphy's question first. I have always held that the decisions of the Labour Court and the Labour Relations Commission should be abided by despite great difficulties and problems. Issues concerning productivity exist which must be achieved through negotiation to make An Post viable. In the public and private sectors, it is good practice to pay on the basis of the...

Leaders' Questions. (10 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy mentioned a number of areas. I will deal with the issue of roads before coming to the other two. At least the Government is building roads. Before we came to office, others talked about them and did nothing about them.

Leaders' Questions. (10 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Whether it is the bypasses of Portlaoise, Balbriggan, Cavan, Arklow, Donegal, Callan, Nenagh, Blackpool or wherever, we are building roads. We will spend €1.5 billion on main national roads this year. We had a time when we had no overruns because we did not spend anything at all on them, which was a good way of doing it.

Leaders' Questions. (10 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: That was the first part of the Deputy's question. On the second part of his question, Deputy Kenny would like to make sure and would like me to stand up and make sure that when we reach 20 million passengers going through Dublin Airport, not alone will we have pier D but we will also have a second terminal to cater for them. The answer is yes, we will. His third question is about making a...