Results 2,581-2,600 of 2,770 for speaker:Bernard Allen

Written Answers — Local Government: Local Government (19 Oct 2004)

Bernard Allen: Question 579: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has plans to grant town status to Glanmire and to allow it to form a district council. [25181/04]

Sustaining Progress. (19 Oct 2004)

Bernard Allen: Will the Taoiseach say what the views of the social partners were about the figures he has just produced? Do they agree with him that the houses that come on stream under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 which form part of the 8,900 houses, which figure is a roll-back on the original number of 10,000, were never to be included in the original commitment? That was the...

Sustaining Progress. (19 Oct 2004)

Bernard Allen: I will. Will the Taoiseach say whether the social partners gave an opinion as regards the other side of the housing scenario, namely, the escalating waiting lists throughout the country for social housing? There are in excess of 50,000 applications at present. In my city, for the first time, the numbers have reached the 5,000 mark. Have the social partners any views on that side of the equation?

Sustaining Progress. (19 Oct 2004)

Bernard Allen: They were supposed to get 10,000 extra houses.

Overseas Development Aid. (19 Oct 2004)

Bernard Allen: Question 156: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government will achieve the United Nations target for overseas development aid by 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25416/04]

Overseas Development Aid. (19 Oct 2004)

Bernard Allen: The Minister stated that we will make every effort to meet the target. Does he agree that this comment is a major retreat from the Taoiseach's solemn commitment made in 2000, when he claimed that we would make the 0.7% target by 2007? Does the Minister agree that that comment was made to get a seat on the UN Security Council? Like the promises made before the last election, this promise has...

Overseas Development Aid. (19 Oct 2004)

Bernard Allen: The Minister of State should answer 'yes' or 'no'.

Overseas Development Aid. (19 Oct 2004)

Bernard Allen: Will he do it?

Overseas Development Aid. (19 Oct 2004)

Bernard Allen: It is a strange one.

Overseas Development Aid. (19 Oct 2004)

Bernard Allen: What about electronic voting?

Overseas Development Aid. (19 Oct 2004)

Bernard Allen: That is a new one.

Overseas Development Aid. (19 Oct 2004)

Bernard Allen: Give us a chance.

Overseas Development Aid. (19 Oct 2004)

Bernard Allen: The Minister of State mentioned the OECD on a number of occasions. Does he accept that the most recent OECD report stated that the Government is "faltering" in its attempts to reach the target? Does the Minister of State doubt the capacity of the non-governmental organisations to spend the €570 million they expect to receive this year? I have heard such a suggestion today for the first time.

Overseas Development Aid. (19 Oct 2004)

Bernard Allen: The Minister of State is casting doubt on the organisations. He said that if the organisations receive additional money, he doubts their capacity and that of the Department to allocate it.

Overseas Development Aid. (19 Oct 2004)

Bernard Allen: The Minister of State also questioned the organisations' efficiency and ability to spend the money effectively. That is a new one on me. I ask the Minister of State to clarify his position in that regard.

Northern Ireland Issues. (19 Oct 2004)

Bernard Allen: Question 159: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will elaborate upon his statement, made while attending discussions in Belfast on 12 October 2004, regarding the participation of Sinn Féin in government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25495/04]

Northern Ireland Issues. (19 Oct 2004)

Bernard Allen: Although the Minister's statement did not depart from Government policy, it aroused deep controversy. If the statement was in line with Government policy, why did the Department of Foreign Affairs immediately rush out a memorandum to explain the Minister's statements? Why did it pointedly omit the expression that he hoped that Sinn Féin would be in government in the future? Since the...

Northern Ireland Issues. (19 Oct 2004)

Bernard Allen: I have no doubt that the statement made by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Ahern, was part of a softening up process for the Irish people. If Fianna Fáil were in a tight corner after the next election, they would do a deal with the Devil himself to stay in power. The Minister spoke about arms and having peace on the island, but he did not give his views on the activities of the IRA...

Northern Ireland Issues. (19 Oct 2004)

Bernard Allen: The Minister is not comparing like with like.

British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. (19 Oct 2004)

Bernard Allen: Did the Minister discuss this issue with the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste before and after the question was asked and answered? What was the trend of any conversations that took place?