Results 2,901-2,920 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Leaders' Questions (27 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: There has been no review of the decision of last summer. The position some years ago was that there were three children's hospitals in Dublin, each providing secondary care services for their respective catchment areas, and two providing tertiary care services on a national basis. Following its establishment, the HSE set up an external review of paediatric tertiary services. This review...

Leaders' Questions (27 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy asked me whether there is a change in the position and I said there is not. I am sorry I cannot tell him anything new. The Deputy is well aware of the history of this issue, as am I. The position several years ago was that we had three hospitals in Dublin providing secondary care services for their respective catchment areas. I do not see any change in the Tallaght position,...

Leaders' Questions (27 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: There will not be one hospital. There will be children's services in a range of hospitals, including Tallaght Hospital. The latter will not change.

Leaders' Questions (27 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The external review of paediatric tertiary services recommended that the population and projected demands of the country could support only one world-class tertiary paediatric hospital. It did not mean there would not be children's facilities or beds in other hospitals.

Leaders' Questions (27 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: That is the position. I would have been happy to go along with the view some years ago but to duplicate the services is a mistake, a misuse of money and should not happen.

Leaders' Questions (27 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: As usual, I do not agree with Deputy Joe Higgins. It has been the success of the economy and the generation of growth and employment which has brought us to this position, not the opposite. On the growth in transport emissions, we are behind most European countries in car ownership but increased prosperity has brought about increased car ownership rates, one of the main reasons the country...

Leaders' Questions (27 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: From January carbon dioxide emissions rather than engine size will provide the basis for these taxes. The proposals and rebalancing initiatives are currently open for public consultation. I agree about the bus corridors, that is why we bought over 100 new buses. I also agree with the Deputy about rail transport, that is why we bought 60 new rail cars, with 12 being introduced this month....

Leaders' Questions (27 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: There has been huge progress on the quays thanks to the success of the port tunnel in taking trucks from residential areas, which will help the environment in these areas. The Deputy's support in trying to convince people to put more bus corridors in place is welcome.

Leaders' Questions (27 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: In the past year we have invested more than €80 million into Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus — I believe it will be the same this year — and there are the new Korean trains. The Deputy cannot make those arguments without acknowledging that there is huge investment. It is not in the future, in ten or 15 years' time.

Leaders' Questions (27 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is happening now. There has probably been more investment in the past two years than there was at any period over the decades. It is an enormous amount. The entire public transport budget for this year is not much short of €800 million.

Leaders' Questions (27 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Lanesboro peat station and the peat station in the midlands both operate with new technology which is highly efficient. Security of supply is obviously enormously important. The Finns, who are on top of the list in all these issues, use peat because of their resources. If the Deputy believes we should not be doing that, he has the wrong end of it. We have a high reliance on fossil...

Leaders' Questions (27 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——with a plan to achieve a 30% biodiesel blend in all new buses, and requiring the public sector to lead the way in energy efficiency are all being done now.

Leaders' Questions (27 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: There are targets for the future but they are all being done now——

Leaders' Questions (27 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——with huge support from the Green Party as the Deputy can see. These issues are all being done.

Leaders' Questions (27 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Green Party is not hot air. That is a very unfair thing to say. We are pressing ahead with these initiatives and we are doing it very quickly.

Order of Business (27 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is proposed to take No. 14, motion re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and the Republic of Albania; No. 15, motion re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and the Republic of Tajikistan;and No. 1, Communications Regulation (Amendment) Bill...

Strategic Management Initiative. (27 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 12 together. Significant progress has been made since the publication of the 2001 OECD report, Regulatory Reform in Ireland. The focus of our efforts in progressing regulatory reform is now on implementing the Government White Paper, Regulating Better, which was published in January 2004 in response to the OECD's report. The White Paper sets out six...

Strategic Management Initiative. (27 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I hope those targets are being met. My officials are doing their utmost.

Strategic Management Initiative. (27 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: On what has happened with regard to regulation generally, a unit in my Department is working across the whole OECD area and the 2001 report. It is actively driving implementation and working with other Departments in trying to move it on. In some cases, it is the regulators who have the responsibilities. In other cases, a number of regulatory bodies are involved in respect of the...

Strategic Management Initiative. (27 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Yes. On that issue, one will never stop a company from running into difficulties. One will encounter more of that given the huge range of operators in the market. There will be change and rationalisation; some will pull out of the market, while others will expand and there will also be takeovers. This will not stop. The study of this has moved on and we have looked at the detail. A...