Results 2,081-2,100 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Confidence in Taoiseach: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I have self-evidently not benefited in any way from such service.

Confidence in Taoiseach: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: There is and can be no suggestion that I did anything improper for anyone. I have always been consistent in this one, fundamental matter. I did not receive any payments from Mr. O'Callaghan and am entirely innocent of any imputation that I received improper payments from anyone.

Leaders' Questions (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Seriously, I wish the Deputy well. Deputy Eamon Gilmore has served in this House with distinction since 1989. He has an onerous task and I wish him well. I join Deputy Eamon Gilmore in expressing my sympathy to the families and colleagues of the two firemen who lost their lives while serving on the fire brigade. I would like to respond to Deputy Gilmore's questions about the value in...

Leaders' Questions (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: As Deputy Gilmore knows, I have had to attend a number of tribunals — not just the Mahon tribunal — over recent years to answer questions about various matters.

Leaders' Questions (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is my obligation as a Member of the House — notwithstanding the fact that I am an office holder — to act in such a manner. That I will continue to do so does not create any difficulty for me or distract me from my job, although it might mean I have to work longer and more demanding hours at times. That is how it has been and how it is likely to continue. I assure the House that I...

Constitutional Amendments. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together. On 3 November 2006, I proposed a referendum on the place of children in the Constitution. I asked the then Minister of State with responsibility for children, Deputy Brian Lenihan, to initiate a process of consultation and discussion with the Dáil parties and all relevant interest groups. The then Minister of State, Deputy...

Constitutional Amendments. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I will ask the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Smith, to arrange for a full and detailed briefing on this matter for Deputy Shatter as Fine Gael spokesperson in this area. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was ratified by Dáil Éireann on 21 September 1992 and entered into force in Ireland on 21 October 1992. Ireland subsequently...

Constitutional Amendments. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I will respond to Deputy Gilmore's questions in the order in which they were raised. On the reform treaty, as I stated last year, it can be reasonably assumed that a referendum will be necessary. However, a decision in that regard cannot be made until the Intergovernmental Conference document has been agreed. When that document is completed the Attorney General will examine it. He cannot...

Constitutional Amendments. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: A decision cannot be made in the absence of a document. The Attorney General cannot make a decision until he has examined the final document. We are anxious to move on the issue of children's rights. Much work has been done. The Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Brendan Smith, is anxious to have the all-party Oireachtas committee re-established...

Constitutional Amendments. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: In regard to the reform agenda, we should not have to wait too long for the outcome of the IGC. I hope we will be able to recommend it to the people as a good agreement for the country and the future of Europe. I hope we will get it passed. Regarding the Deputy's remarks on another referendum, the issue is not the same. We made a number of changes in regard to the referendum on the second...

Constitutional Amendments. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: We will endeavour to have it passed, with the Deputy's support.

Constitutional Amendments. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Costello is correct that the reform treaty is substantially the same as the work we had completed during the Irish Presidency. Obviously it does not carry the status of a constitutional treaty because people in this and other countries raised issues in that regard. Amendments and changes have been made to it. Some issues were agreed in the subsequent discussions earlier this year...

Constitutional Amendments. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I would like to see it happen as soon as possible. Deputy Brendan Smith is anxious to progress the matter and I understand the Whips will be dealing with the committee structures generally in the next week or so.

Communications Unit. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 7, inclusive, together. The total costs incurred by the communications unit to date in 2007 are €280,143 with €130,228 being a direct cost to my Department and €29,983 on average being borne by the five other Departments who have staff seconded to the unit. The estimated annual cost for the communications unit in 2007 is €373,524. The unit...

Communications Unit. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The communications unit is run by the Civil Service according to Civil Service standards and protocol. There was no change in the role of the communications unit during the election period. When the election campaign was referred to across the range of news programmes that are monitored, the unit, keeping within its role, did not monitor media coverage of a political nature and did not...

Communications Unit. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: They do not do the weather forecast. I have not answered all Deputy Kenny's questions. A number of staff changes have occurred in the communications unit. The Progressive Democrats Party still has the same programme manager. Obviously the Green Party-Comhaontas Glas, has its own staff. From my office, one person has left and one has retired.

Communications Unit. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The communications unit is staffed and run to Civil Service standards. The information it documents is provided to several hundred people in Departments, merely giving the headlines of the hour or the day and, where necessary, giving transcripts to Departments. Previously, Departments used to source and purchase this information from outside companies, with several Departments sourcing the...

Communications Unit. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I have heard this suggestion several times. Information available to Ministers and heads of Departments is not made available to Opposition Deputies or, for that matter, Government Deputies.

Communications Unit. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: All non-political data could not be made available across Departments. The Deputy cannot be serious. The officials of the communications unit are part of the Civil Service structure and are answerable in the normal course to the Secretary General of the Department. They work on a strictly non-political basis. The unit deals only with the Government Press Office and with press officers in...

Communications Unit. (26 Sep 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The unit takes the headlines of the day as they are. If an item has a political twist the unit is not allowed take it. Such an item must be dropped.