Results 2,741-2,760 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Decentralisation Programme. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: No and I do not think any of the organisations connected to my Department are that big either. I do not think any of them will do so and certainly not the Department. There is always a fair bit of moving around in terms of Departments. It is really an OPW question — I will try to be helpful — and it is forever changing its leases on developments it has and trying to get out of...

Decentralisation Programme. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: In my Department, ten staff have already moved to posts. As Deputy Rabbitte is aware, through the managed system staff are moving to posts and areas. People who want to be decentralised across a range of areas are moving to offices that will be decentralised. This year about 1,000 people overall will be in posts and the figure will be several thousand in the next three years. From 2007 to...

Decentralisation Programme. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I do not know whether they have moved once they have left the Department. Regarding the figures for this summer, it is anticipated the number of decentralised staff moved to the new locations will be more than 1,000 in 20 towns. The plan in place, which I think is working through the system, will be 6,800 by the end of 2009. I think they have worked out a very good plan with the...

Decentralisation Programme. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The eastern region will continue to grow according to every report and survey. It is no longer Dublin, it is the greater Dublin area, and the definitions of the greater Dublin area get greater every year and it gets wider. To answer Deputy Ferris's question, the Government and I are totally supportive of balanced regional development. I think it is good for Dublin, the Dublin region and...

Decentralisation Programme. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: A huge range of organisations has moved out and by and large the functions have been worked out with regard to where people are going and where the offices are, along with their modus operandi. Civil Service unions and management staff have worked that out. In most of the sections there is not that much traffic back to the city. For the future, even for those coming back, web-conferencing...

Decentralisation Programme. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: There is 85% penetration.

Decentralisation Programme. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: My Department is relatively small. Some 18%, nearly a fifth, of the Department want to go up to this year. Of 39, 29 are still in my Department. They have requested to be decentralised and ten of them have gone via other Departments or agencies. The overall figure this year is 1,000. With regard to the planned structure there is now an agreement and these issues have been worked out by...

Departmental Expenditure. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 to 9, inclusive, together. Following a detailed analysis of our current arrangements in the procurement of goods and services, a corporate procurement plan has been prepared with a view to improving the procurement function within my Department. The plan sets objectives to improve the way the Department acquires and pays for goods and services. The plan...

Departmental Expenditure. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: For many years the OPW has centralised buying contracts and the Department of Finance public procurement guidelines cover that. Most of the departmental costs are under contracts under the procurement policies of the Department of Finance, with the OPW being the centralised buyer in a large range of areas. Expenditure in operating my Department is incurred across a range of goods and...

Departmental Expenditure. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: There is a down side in that one can get the best value for money, but one can affect jobs at home. That is my only argument, but I lose it usually because we tend to play by the rules in this country. The main aim of the national policy on procurement is to achieve value for money while having regard to probity and accountability. While price is important in determining value for money,...

Departmental Expenditure. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: There is a plan across Departments, including mine, to help reduce carbon emissions. It covers a range of areas. I will return to the matter of travel in a minute, but the plan deals particularly with recycling, reusing and how we handle old machines, such as computers, copiers and so on. There is a rigorous plan to comply with the needs. It comes down to the lights policy, namely,...

Departmental Expenditure. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I think Deputy Gormley might agree that what we are doing as regards recycling, which comes under my Department, is significant. We have come from very low levels of recycling in this country to extraordinary achievements. We have gone way ahead of our targets and surpassed what other countries are doing. We are way ahead in terms of EU levels. In the climate change strategy as well as...

Departmental Expenditure. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I am promoting and pressing all of these policies. I was on the DART twice recently and the Deputy is right. I came to realise how much better it is and how much more sociable and efficient than being stuck in traffic. The Deputy was perfectly right.

Departmental Expenditure. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I was on the Luas as well and he is right that the standard of public transport has changed dramatically. I have not been on the new buses yet, but I shall try that, too, through the new bus corridors.

Departmental Expenditure. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: He is correct in saying these are better ways to travel than being stuck in traffic.

Departmental Expenditure. (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I passed Deputy Finian McGrath the other day while I was in the car and he was walking, so I accept he was giving good example.

Order of Business (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is proposed to take No. 18, Finance Bill 2007 — Report and Final Stages; No. 19, the Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2007 — Order for Report, Report and Final Stages; and No. 20, Prisons Bill 2006 [Seanad] — Order for Report, 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...

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Kenny is correct. For a number of years in this country, one quarter has been set down as the proportion of remission to be granted. As I understand the matter, it is not set out in legislation but has been the procedure. The equivalent period in Britain is one third, while it ranges between one quarter and one third in other countries.

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Precisely. If there are breaches of the disciplinary codes or if prisoners do not conform, remission can be removed in its entirety.

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: This issue was raised by several organisations over the past two weeks in regard to a sexual abuse case. A certain individual had served a full and lengthy sentence but had received remission following the normal procedure. In the case highlighted this week, Michael O'Neill, one of the four persons convicted of the killing of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe and the wounding of Detective Garda...