Results 2,721-2,740 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Order of Business (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Yes, we will.

Order of Business (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: This session.

Order of Business (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy should table a question to the Minister.

Order of Business (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: If he told the Deputy it was at an advanced stage, it must be at an advanced stage.

Order of Business (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Bill is almost ready. It will be published shortly.

Order of Business (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The student support Bill will be published this session. I do not have a date for the adoption Bill but the student support Bill is nearly ready. It is due this session.

Order of Business (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I will have to check with regard to the second convention — I do not have it listed. Was the first question on the adoption Bill?

Order of Business (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I will check with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform on that. On the Hague Convention, the adoption Bill will be published this session.

Order of Business (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The social housing Bill is listed for early summer. The Deputy should put the other question to the Minister.

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Whatever about me being in script mode, that is the classic script of those in Europe who criticise the Irish tax system and want to harmonise European taxes. That is the classic script of an attack on our system. The same countries are envious of our ability to run a good economy and to generate 800,000 jobs. I am sad to see the Deputy, who normally fights the cause of working class...

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: As for any breaches, our revenue laws are as tough as anywhere in the organised world. Every country has its own tax laws and the Revenue Commissioners have all of the powers granted by this House and many issues over the years have strengthened that position. I have no involvement in, nor can I comment on, the tax affairs of either individual companies or State bodies in respect of their...

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: They permanently pick on Ireland, in the main because they do not want to make reference to some other countries to which they are more closely allied. There are plenty of them and I note that in the French election we have again been taken out and used to be kicked around by those who should know better.

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It appears as though everyone in Ireland is my friend this morning. If Deputy Higgins is advocating that State agencies which employ thousands of people, such as An Post and the ESB, should put themselves at a disadvantage by not availing of legitimate tax schemes to minimise their tax liabilities——

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: There are bodies to investigate tax scams. If the Deputy asserts that the law as it stands is wrong, it is obvious that he disagrees with it. I remind Deputy Higgins, who obviously has forgotten what he said on two occasions, of the following. Ireland has lower taxes — although they are no longer the lowest because countries such as Estonia and other new member states have extremely low...

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: This is how we have been able to take on thousands of extra——

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: As we receive hundreds of millions more in tax revenue than was the case previously, we are able to put far more money into employing nurses, doctors and other paramedical staff, as well as thousands of teachers. I know this is not consistent with the Deputy's policy either. The Deputy would like to have exorbitantly high taxes, high unemployment and huge poverty——

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——and then he would be happy because the policies in which the Deputy believes are the policies of discontent.

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Is that not why the Deputy was thrown out of the Labour Party? He wanted always to have things bad and if things are good, it does not suit him. He is now trying to attack multinationals.

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: This is what the Deputy believes in. In fairness, the Deputy is consistent. If the sun shines, he wants to see rain. He has always been like that. I understand that and fair play to him. He has been consistent for 30 years.

Decentralisation Programme. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together. A total of 39 staff currently serving in my Department have applied through the central applications facility to relocate under the decentralisation programme. The breakdown by grade is: assistant principal, seven; higher executive officer, three; administrative officer, seven; executive officer, nine; staff officer, two; and...