Results 2,581-2,600 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

European Council Meetings. (21 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is going down big in Europe. The view on this issue is that the proper thing to do in the short term is to move away and effectively ban the traditional light bulb. As in all of these issues there is much scientific knowledge on the effects and people can move into the future with a different form of lighting. The overwhelming evidence is that if we want to save energy — and we can...

European Council Meetings. (21 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: To ban them.

European Council Meetings. (21 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is one of these things.

European Council Meetings. (21 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: On the first question, the view of the European Council is that while the targets agreed are ambitious and would not be achieved across each individual country the collective figures for Europe can be achieved. When one looks at all the reports and the evidence, the emissions from Ireland and England are 1.5% of the total and even for Europe that is small. If everyone took the view that...

European Council Meetings. (21 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The view is that every country from the smallest to the largest has to play its part. To make an impact in the years ahead China, India, America and Asia have to be pulled into it in one form or another and that will take a huge international drive and effort. In the meantime we have set out our indicators in Green Papers within the climate change strategy. On the second issue, given that...

European Council Meetings. (21 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Sargent misunderstood my reply to Deputy Rabbitte in respect of contentious issues. I was only talking about the drafting of the EU declaration. I stated that there were no contentious issues around that. We are regarded as very forward in respect of all these issues. We are not taking a "béal bocht" approach. Ireland's record and achievements in this area are considered to be...

European Council Meetings. (21 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: In reply to the Deputy's question, we should take a forward view. Everyone must play his part. In reply to Deputy Kenny, I said that we should try to achieve the maximum possible target. The 20% target is the target we have set ourselves. In particular, I very much admire the Danes, who have taken a really aggressive stance on this matter. I know it is not possible for us to deal with...

European Council Meetings. (21 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Lisbon strategy has worked extremely well in many areas. It was about education, tackling disadvantage, putting more money into research, trying to generate sustainable employment and competitiveness across Europe. Domestically, we have far surpassed anything in Europe in this regard and are at the top of the European table in most, though not all, areas. There will be challenges for...

European Council Meetings. (21 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The first issue was discussed by the Foreign Ministers in a separate session of the Council, so I was not part of those discussions. The EU 3 are competent and capable and they are answering to the General Affairs and External Affairs Council, GAERC, all of the time on these issues. The view of the European Council is this issue should be resolved by diplomatic means and that we should...

European Council Meetings. (21 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: A number of countries have bilateral agreements with Russia. This is one of the difficulties. As Deputy Allen is aware, the EU-Russia agreement runs out at the end of November. Because of the Polish difficulties, which I understand, it was not possible to conclude those negotiations and form a new EU-Russia agreement prior to the last EU-Russia Summit. Having spoken to the President of...

European Council Meetings. (21 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Regarding the President's remarks, unfortunately my two meetings with him were concluded before I was made aware of the remarks. As I stated at the time, I would not in any way agree with those remarks. In fairness to him, I subsequently read the full text of what he said and in spite of some of the things he said, he said he did understand the rights of the gay community. He said both...

European Council Meetings. (21 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I am sorry if I did not make that clear. I believe that Ireland can achieve a 20% reduction in emissions through clean technologies, cutting back agricultural emissions, and the use of biofuels and new home technologies, which have been an enormous success. I know there have been difficulties for the past ten years, but I have read and studied the entire Stern report, a very substantial...

European Council Meetings. (21 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The target date in it is 2050. All the benchmarks relate to that date.

European Council Meetings. (21 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I said as much in my initial reply; it is the only way to proceed. A range of things is happening, and people are very committed. This affects forestry, agriculture and biofuels policy, and some countries, particularly the United States, are investing literally billions in research to find alternative products. I do not think that those products will be invented in Ireland, although it...

European Council Meetings. (21 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is not a question of being confident but of being committed. We have substantially decoupled Irish economic growth from emissions, something evident when one considers the figures for the past 16 years. An enormous range of issues have been considered only in the last few years, including the climate change strategy and the Green Paper on Energy. The credits are part of the system, and...

Order of Business (21 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is proposed to take No. 18, Statements on European Council, Brussels; No. 19, Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007 — Order for Report, Report and Final Stages; and No. 20, Carbon Fund Bill 2006 — Order for Report and Report and Final Stages. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that: (1) the Dáil shall sit later than 8.30 p.m. tonight, and business shall be...

Leaders' Questions (21 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: He will probably start in 1950.

Leaders' Questions (21 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I will try to reply to the Deputy's questions in the order in which he asked them, although I know he was meant to ask only one question. On prisons, we have reformed the prison system and built new prisons.

Leaders' Questions (21 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: No, we got away from the revolving door that existed when the Deputy's party was last in government——

Leaders' Questions (21 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——when nobody served his time and when prisons were just holiday camps. Offenders were imprisoned for just a few days and then let out again; that is the way it was.