Results 2,221-2,240 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Written Answers — Departmental Projects: Departmental Projects (26 Jun 2007)

Bertie Ahern: There are no projects approved by my Department this year that exceed the threshold for a cost benefit analysis.

Election of Leas-Cheann Comhairle (26 Jun 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I move: "That Deputy Brendan Howlin be elected Leas-Cheann Comhairle." I propose Deputy Howlin, who has been a Member of this House for 20 years. He has been a distinguished Member in many respects and has held ministerial office both as Minister for Health and Children and Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and has been engaged in most positions in the House and in...

Order of Business (26 Jun 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Bill was ordered for Second Stage in the Seanad. It is published and in the Seanad system already.

Order of Business (26 Jun 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Bill is there and must be debated in the Seanad and this House.

Order of Business (26 Jun 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I join Deputy Kenny in extending sympathy and inform the House that the Government passed on its sympathies to the Spanish authorities through the Minister for Foreign Affairs yesterday.

Order of Business (26 Jun 2007)

Bertie Ahern: A number of these motions must go down and I understand most of them are Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform——

Order of Business (26 Jun 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——and some are Foreign Affairs. The best thing is to table a question to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform——

Order of Business (26 Jun 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——and receive a clear position on which ones are being forwarded. The Minister for Foreign Affairs has a list and I will ask him to forward it to the Deputy.

Order of Business (26 Jun 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is less complicated than most Bills. The explanatory memorandum states the purpose of the Bill is to increase from 17 to 20 the statutory limit on the number of Ministers of State the Government can appoint. The office of Minister of State was first set out in the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1977 which provided for a maximum number of ten Ministers of State. This...

Order of Business (26 Jun 2007)

Bertie Ahern: We have half a million more people in the country now than in those days and a far more complex range of agencies. I agree it probably should be 25 but in this case 20 is——

Leaders' Questions (26 Jun 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I confirm that as leader of Fianna Fáil I entered into political arrangements with Deputies Lowry, Healy-Rae and Finian McGrath. I have no arrangement with Deputy Flynn. The issues discussed, as is normal and appropriate, are covered in the national development plan, Transport 21 and the multi-annual capital programmes for public expenditure. I have committed myself through my best...

Leaders' Questions (26 Jun 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I am glad to clarify it. I have entered into political commitments that concern priority issues for the three Members concerned. I have made political commitments to three Members, not four. The issues are covered by the programme for Government, the NDP, Transport 21 and other Government documents. These Members have issues they want progressed, delivered and implemented and, as I have...

Leaders' Questions (26 Jun 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The three Deputies are very wise.

Leaders' Questions (26 Jun 2007)

Bertie Ahern: They want to see the commitments on which they were elected to this House delivered. They want to prioritise those issues and they have made a political agreement with me on them. From the experience of some of those Deputies and other Deputies who have entered into a similar arrangement over the last decade, it can be seen that I do my utmost to deliver on the issues, perhaps not to every...

Leaders' Questions (26 Jun 2007)

Bertie Ahern: We spend €52 billion on the current programme every year and we are spending €187 billion on the national development plan. Some €34 billion is being spent on transport.

Leaders' Questions (26 Jun 2007)

Bertie Ahern: We are spending billions and there are important initiatives that these three Deputies, not four, have asked me to use my best endeavours, within these programmes, to implement. I intend doing that for them.

Leaders' Questions (26 Jun 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Green Party had a democratic vote on the programme for Government and, as I recall, it voted by 87% in favour of it.

Leaders' Questions (26 Jun 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Therefore, it is not true that its members did not discuss the programme.

Leaders' Questions (26 Jun 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The reality is that the Deputies from the Independent benches who are supporting the Government want to see their political priorities as laid out in the various Government programmes, the programme for Government, Transport 21, the national development plan and others, implemented. They have highlighted to me the areas that are of particular concern to them and the issues that they want to...

Appointment of Members of Government and Ministers of State (26 Jun 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I wish to announce, for the information of the Dáil: (1) that, having informed the President that Dáil Éireann had approved my nomination of Deputies to be members of the Government, the President, on 14 June 2007, appointed them accordingly; (2) that, on the same date, I nominated Deputy Cowen to be the Tánaiste and assigned the Department of Finance to him; (3) that, on the same date, I...