Results 2,421-2,440 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Code of Conduct for Office Holders. (3 Apr 2007)

Bertie Ahern: A Cheann Comhairle——

Code of Conduct for Office Holders. (3 Apr 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Government Chief Whip informs me that the Bill has been approved by the Government and is due to start in the Seanad, although I do not know on what day. I will check and let Deputy Rabbitte's office know the date. I am not responsible for the business of the Seanad, and I think the Deputy knows that.

Code of Conduct for Office Holders. (3 Apr 2007)

Bertie Ahern: My answer is that the Bill left the Government to go to the Seanad.

Code of Conduct for Office Holders. (3 Apr 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I said the Bill was going to start in the Seanad.

Code of Conduct for Office Holders. (3 Apr 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I will find out exactly where it is for the Deputy. I will check whether it is in the Whip's office, stopped on a corridor or sitting on a shelf. If the Deputy wants to get into that kind of precision, two of us can play that game. What was the Deputy's second question anyway?

Code of Conduct for Office Holders. (3 Apr 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I have already answered that question.

National Security Committee. (3 Apr 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 9, inclusive, together. Having regard to the confidential nature of the work of the National Security Committee, it would not be appropriate to disclose information about the dates of individual meetings or any of its proceedings. The committee is chaired by the Secretary General to the Government and comprises representatives at the highest level of the...

National Security Committee. (3 Apr 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is not appropriate to speculate on the matter raised in Deputy Kenny's first question but I assure the House that the Garda Síochána closely monitors the security situation, including threats to international security, on an ongoing basis. A small number of people are closely monitored and those under observation change from time to time. The situation in this regard has not changed...

National Security Committee. (3 Apr 2007)

Bertie Ahern: On national security and the question about people who are brought to the attention of the security forces because of national or international liaison with groups such as those I referred to earlier, there are not many such persons in the country. Some of them are in or out of the country and some of them have contacts with the country. The Garda is continually involved in monitoring...

National Security Committee. (3 Apr 2007)

Bertie Ahern: After the events of 11 September 2001 the Government set up an office of emergency planning to co-ordinate the work of various emergency services in preparing contingency plans. The office is chaired by the Minister for Defence and meets frequently to assist in that role. It oversees emergency planning generally to promote the best possible use of State resources and ensure compatibility...

National Security Committee. (3 Apr 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Matters related to health or water schemes are dealt with in the emergency planning within individual Departments and are not part of the remit of the national security committee. The committee comprises representatives at the highest level of the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and Defence, the Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces, who examine areas of concern where there...

Programmes for Government. (3 Apr 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 to 15, inclusive, together. Progress on the implementation of the Government programme is kept under review. Deputies will be aware that on the completion of each full year that Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats have been in Government, we have published an annual progress report that sets out progress to date in implementing every commitment in...

Programmes for Government. (3 Apr 2007)

Bertie Ahern: In general, the criteria, the terms of reference and operation of benchmarking are worked out between management and unions. That has already been done and worked out for the next round of benchmarking. There are many difficulties in this particular case. First, some of the nurses, the INO and PNA, have not signed up to Towards 2016, while those who are members of SIPTU have. The Labour...

Programmes for Government. (3 Apr 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Labour Court and the NIB have reached the view that the issue can be dealt with under the benchmarking process. Nobody can predetermine the outcome but the Labour Court and the NIB tried to see if there was a helpful way of moving the discussion forward for three weeks and concluded that the only way to deal with this was within the benchmarking process.

Programmes for Government. (3 Apr 2007)

Bertie Ahern: For the past three weeks under the NIB, officials of my Department, the Department of Health and Children and the management of the Health Service Executive tried to resolve this issue. A reduction to a 35-hour week, however, would represent a massive change in working arrangements, involving a reduction of 7.7 million nursing hours. That cannot be undertaken lightly. They endeavoured to...

Programmes for Government. (3 Apr 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I refer to Deputy Rabbitte's other question. Negotiations on the other contracts are ongoing with the HSE and I do not have an update on that.

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: My Department's switch operates from Monday to Friday, 9.00 am to 7.00 pm. There is no main automated telephone message for the Department, as calls are taken by switchboard staff who provide a high standard of service in Irish and English. Indeed, in the Department's Official Languages Scheme, we state that we will request Eircom, who provide the switchboard staff, to ensure that such...

Written Answers — Ministerial Appointments: Ministerial Appointments (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO) was established on a statutory basis on 1 January, 2007. Nominations have been sought from the Social Partners and appointments to the constituent bodies [National Economic and Social Council (NESC), National Economic and Social Forum (NESF) and the National Centre for Partnership and Performance (NCPP)] will be made once that...

Order of Business (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is proposed to take No. 21, Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2007 — Order for Report, Report and Final Stages; No. 22, European Communities Bill 2006 [Seanad] — Order for Report, Report and Final Stages; and No. 23, Medical Practitioners Bill 2007 — Order for Report, Report and Final Stages. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that the Dáil shall sit later than...

Order of Business (28 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: On the Harris report, I raised it previously with the Minister for Education and Science and I will raise it with her again. I cannot recall what I said about it the last time so I had better check it.