Results 2,641-2,660 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Written Answers — Departmental Communications: Departmental Communications (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: While there are a number of channels available, which can be utilised by people with hearing disabilities to communicate with my Department, such as email, website feedback forms, post and fax, we do not currently have facilities for people with a hearing disability to phone my Department. We have, however, recently received proposals from our telecom suppliers for the installation of...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Since the introduction of the decentralisation programme, 10 former members of staff from my Department have been assigned to decentralised posts. The Deputy will be aware that the Department of Finance is responsible for the overall decentralisation programme. The Deputy will also be aware that there are no proposals to decentralise my Department or any of the bodies under its aegis.

Written Answers — Interdepartmental Committees: Interdepartmental Committees (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I chair the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion and the membership includes the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Ministers for: Education and Science; Enterprise, Trade and Employment; Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs; Finance; the Environment, Heritage and Local Government; Health and Children; Social and Family Affairs; and Children. and the...

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I believe we can do that this way very quickly. If we wait and take the long option of trying to provide 2,500 public beds on standalone sites, our experience is that it would take an age. We will continue as we are. Ireland and Norway have the highest expenditure on capital projects in the health service. To do it quicker would be to take 1,000 of the 2,500 private ring-fenced beds——

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——that are highly subsidised and to put them on collocated stances.

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Labour Party asked a question but it does not want to hear the answer. It continues to interrupt. It is a sore issue for the Labour Party to find itself in a position — I can understand its argument but it will not say it——

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Labour Party went along with it. I meet the trade unions too and I know the Labour Party's argument, but Deputy Ó Caoláin has a different argument.

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Hecklers should not be allowed in.

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I ask Deputy Ó Caoláin, as a reasonable person, to look at the argument. If we take 1,000 public beds and improve on that number in a short period, the consultant staff, about whom the Deputy said he is concerned, will still have the private beds but we will have more beds in co-located sites. There is no difficulty with that. The system will work perfectly well. It works well at...

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I ask Deputy Ó Caoláin not to join the ideological view. The issue is about maintaining private beds in a public hospital, totally subsidised, while at the same time public patients——

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: That is what the issue is and I do not understand how the Deputy finds himself in that argument.

Order of Business (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is proposed to take No. 12, Health Bill 2006, motion to instruct the committee; No. 17, Health Bill 2006 — Order for Report, Report and Final Stages; and No. 4, Asset Covered Securities (Amendment) Bill 2007 — Order for Second Stage, Second and Subsequent Stages. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that the Dáil shall sit later than 8.30 p.m. tonight and...

Order of Business (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: No legislative change is planned in regard to stamp duty. On the first issue, ongoing discussions are taking place between ourselves and the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how to deal with these matters. Whatever we do will probably have to be resolved within the next 24 hours or so. As the Deputy is aware, the meetings are scheduled for Friday and Saturday morning and we are trying to...

Order of Business (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Pharmacy (No. 1) Bill will be taken in this session. I do not have a date for the Pharmacy (No. 2) Bill, but it will not be dealt with in the foreseeable future.

Order of Business (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The charities Bill will be published this session, and I hope that we will be able to initiate it, although whether we can pass it before the summer is moot, given its size and complexity. We will certainly publish it, and I know that the Minister would like to take it. It depends on whether we can reach agreement between now and the summer. The electoral Bill has already been published.

Order of Business (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The minerals development Bill is listed for 2007. Its heads have already been approved, and it has been sent for full drafting.

Order of Business (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I understand the point and will ask the Whip to speak to the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell. I know that the Deputy is unhappy regarding the time allowed for Second Stage, but I assume that allowing time for a Committee and Report Stage would go some way towards addressing his concerns.

Order of Business (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It has been listed as a priority.

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: On the general question about a world-class health service, we have made real progress in the health service. We have over 100,000 dedicated professionals treating over 1 million patients in our public hospitals alone. There are 38,000 new staff, including 2,700 medical dental personnel and 9,000 nurses. Some 8,700 specialists were recruited in the past ten years and almost 1,000...

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: However, the Deputy cannot assert that all those things are true while acknowledging all the staff are great. On the antenatal outpatient clinic at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, the HSE has confirmed that, because of the increased number of births therein, it has been very hard pressed to get the waiting list in line. There is no doubt that this is a real problem and I will not defend the...