Results 1,941-1,960 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Order of Business. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: It is proposed to take No. 18, Disability Bill 2004 — Report Stage (resumed) and Final Stage; and No. 19, Driver Testing and Standards Authority Bill 2004 — Second Stage (resumed). Private Members' business shall be No. 46, motion re Aer Lingus, resumed, to conclude at 8.30 p.m.

Order of Business. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I am aware of the problem but there is no legislation as listed. I will bring the Deputy's comments to the attention of the Minister for Education and Science. I have been told by the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources that the report on the review of inland fisheries will be brought to the Cabinet and will be published in a few weeks' time. I have no date for the...

Order of Business. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: It will be part of the discussion on the ten-year plan on transport which must come before Cabinet. It is being discussed by the infrastructure committee at the moment.

Order of Business. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: There has been no Supplementary Estimate so far, but if the resources are needed, there will have to be one. The Minister for Education and Science has just informed me that a task force is working on the issue of disruptive children in schools.

Order of Business. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The Bill will be published in the next few weeks.

Order of Business. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: There is no Supplementary Estimate yet, but we will await the three reports into the terrible tragedy in County Meath.

Order of Business. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The legislation covering the licensed trade comes under the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. That Department is consolidating all the legislation. There are a great number of Acts governing the licensing laws which date back to 1600. The alcohol products (control of advertising, sponsorship and marketing practices/sales promotions) Bill comes under the Department of Health and...

Order of Business. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I have no Bill listed. The Deputy should ask the Minister about it.

Order of Business. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I understand the implementation of this provision is not a simple matter. There has been a deep examination of how this might best be done and a consideration of whether its implementation would stand up and be beneficial.

Order of Business. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: There may be difficulties in proving the source from which alcohol has been purchased. I understand there has been quite a considered debate about whether——

Order of Business. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The matter is under consideration. The reason it has not come through the process is that there has been much examination of whether it will work in practice. I understand this is the cause of the delay.

Order of Business. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The family law Bill will be published in 2006 and the Bill to consolidate social welfare legislation is due in the autumn. The heads of that Bill have already been approved.

Order of Business. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The coroners Bill will provide for the reform of the coroners service and replace the Coroners Act 1962. The heads of the Bill will be drafted during the summer and the legislation is expected to be ready for publication next year. I will ask the Government Whip about rescheduling the debate on suicide.

Decentralisation Programme. (31 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together. There are no proposals to decentralise any section of my Department or any of the bodies or agencies operating under its aegis. A significant part of the Central Statistics Office is located in Cork. A total of 42 staff from my Department have applied through the central applications facility to relocate under the decentralisation...

Decentralisation Programme. (31 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: It is a fair number of staff. My Department is not large, employing approximately 232 staff, and 42 represents a significant proportion of the overall number. I do not have the figures for other Departments but some people are opting to leave Dublin while others, who are in the regions, are opting for other regional locations. More than 8,500 expressions of interest were received but many of...

Decentralisation Programme. (31 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Nobody has been transferred.

Decentralisation Programme. (31 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The staff would like to move as soon as possible but, while it is 17 months since the announcement, three separate reports have been conducted and a fourth is due. The sites on the early list have been located and the staff involved will want to move. Some of my staff move whenever vacancies arise in existing locations but few arise each year. However, every year a small number of staff is...

Decentralisation Programme. (31 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: All the staff must be replaced by civil servants of a similar grade from other Departments who do not wish to decentralise. Mr. Finbarr Flood has taken over the chair of the decentralisation implementation group and reports to the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen.

Decentralisation Programme. (31 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The mix is composed of six assistant principal officers, nine administrative officers, four higher executive officers, 11 executive officers, three staff officers and nine clerical officers. I accept the point about the professional grades. While it is not relevant to my Department in this instance, it was when the Central Statistics Office was decentralised to Cork in June 1991. Some...

Decentralisation Programme. (31 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The situation in my Department is somewhat simpler as no section of its work is to be decentralised. No one is under pressure to leave and any who leave wish to do so. It is obviously different in other Departments. The issues relating to volunteers are being dealt with as part of the implementation process. They must be discussed and agreed with the public service unions. Possible options...