Results 2,841-2,860 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Appointments to State Boards. (28 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It can be seen in the schedule that I have appointed to boards more card-carrying members of the Labour Party, who were paraded in prominent positions at that party's conferences, than residents of Drumcondra. There may be four or five such people from Drumcondra but I have appointed people who write Labour Party policy documents, who parade to Deputy Rabbitte's office and constitute his...

Appointments to State Boards. (28 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: All of the Deputy's Labour Party colleagues are good people. I deal with them every day.

Appointments to State Boards. (28 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: A handful of poor people from Drumcondra are beleaguered because they have known me for 40 years but that is how it is. It is not practice and I do not agree with packing boards on the eve of a general election. The practice has been that after a general election people tend to pack boards. I do not agree with that practice and have always tried to avoid engaging in it. My record in that...

Appointments to State Boards. (28 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Regardless of the posts I have held over the years, I have not done what politicians in the House did in the past, which was to stick people into boards.

Order of Business (28 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is proposed to take No. 2, Statute Law Revision Bill 2007 [Seanad] — Second Stage; No. 22, Carbon Fund Bill 2006 — Second Stage (resumed), in accordance with the Order of the Dáil of 14 December 2006; and No. 3, Consumer Protection Bill 2007 [Seanad] — Second Stage. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that: (1) the Dáil shall sit later than 8.30 p.m....

Order of Business (28 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Voluntary Health Insurance Board (Amendment) Bill is almost ready and will be available this session. The Immigration and Residence Bill may be taken a few weeks later than the VHI legislation but is also due in this session. The Electoral Bill was brought to Government yesterday. I am not sure when the Minister will publish it but we concluded it yesterday.

Order of Business (28 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The beginning of the summer session.

Order of Business (28 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I am not sure when the Minister will publish the Electoral Bill but it should be available in the next few days. The same should be true to the VHI legislation. The immigration legislation is the only one of the three Bills which might drift into the Easter break.

Order of Business (28 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Yes, it went to Government yesterday.

Order of Business (28 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The management companies legislation is being drafted. I understand the Minister expected to have it ready by Easter but I am not sure whether it will be introduced this session.

Order of Business (28 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is a question of the availability of drafting staff. The work of two draftsmen is required for the Finance Bill.

Order of Business (28 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The sale of alcohol Bill is listed for 2007 but I do not know when exactly it will be brought forward.

Order of Business (28 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Bill has 2,002 heads. The same draftsmen are responsible for producing all Bills, including the social welfare Bill and the Finance Bill, which take precedence over other legislation. One will not get through more than 20 Bills in a session.

Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Enormous and substantive progress has been made in the past 15 or 20 years in the implementation of all aspects of the drugs strategy to deal with issues relating to drugs.

Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: In the past seven or eight years, we devised a national drugs strategy. We invested the necessary resources, people and facilities in the strategy. Approximately 500 projects have been funded under the young people's facilities and services scheme, which has been in place for ten years. Hundreds of youth workers and outreach workers are dealing with this issue. Regional drugs teams are in...

Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The figures quoted in the media and referred to by Deputy Kenny in regard to teenage drinking and drug use relate to a survey which was carried out in 2002 and published in 2003. The report is four years old. It was published by the European school survey project on alcohol and drugs. The statistics, together with other research from 22 different data sources, are contained in a report...

Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: One samples.

Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: A total of 40% of teenagers sampled drugs.

Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: They are not on drugs. They are not junkies or winos. Deputies opposite should not try to twist figures. I do not believe all our young people are either drinking or on drugs or that every community is riddled with drugs. I do not believe that; I do not see it.

Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I do not see it and I do not accept it.