Results 3,001-3,020 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I do not need to do anything in respect of the two commissions; both are under way and being fast-tracked, with many other schemes. I would love to be able to tell Deputy Kenny that the completion of the two jobs will solve all the problems. That is the point. Given the age profile and population structure in the catchment area of the Dublin teaching hospitals——

Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Practically every night an average of 100 patients could be discharged but, because of their family circumstances, they are not. They really require a step-down facility. Consider the third step the HSE is taking. As the Deputy knows, there are ongoing talks about Leas Cross and efforts are being made to recommission the beds. That will probably happen this year also. The institution will...

Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The HSE is also in discussions with other current and prospective private nursing home providers with a view to securing beds to allow additional discharges from hospitals. Most are private but one cannot be certain about them because they are not in the hands of the State. It should be noted that, in respect of addressing the problem of delayed discharges in acute hospitals, approximately...

Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The medical admissions unit was among the ten points listed. As I understand it, most of those issues are on track.

Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: There is no great difficulty with any of them. Bearing in mind the difficulties, it still seems that in terms of bed capacity which is being examined by the HSE, it will be necessary to build a step-down facility either in north or west Dublin, the two areas experiencing acute difficulties. The age profile of the population in question which lives in some of the most densely populated areas...

Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The contract is within two weeks of being signed. There will be one tolling point on the road in the short term and in the long term.

Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Please, Deputy Allen.

Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I ask the Deputy to stop interrupting.

Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I want to answer the Deputy.

Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The contract will be finished in two weeks and there will be one tolling point on the road. The contract for the new operator of the barrier-free toll is under negotiation and will be awarded shortly. That should be in place in 2008. Phases one and three of the construction of the M50, which is a €1 billion project, will be finished to coincide with the implementation of barrier-free...

Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The key point is not additional money. When we buy National Toll Roads' rights on the road for €50 million, the income will come back to the State for upgrading the M50. It will not be a case of double money because NTR will cease to receive it. That is how the contract will operate. We made the decision and there has been no change. One year ago, I said in this House that the NRA,...

Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I also thank the truckers for the 50% increase. The reason we built the tunnel was to take vehicles away from residential areas and put them onto the M50. That was the plan 20 years ago. There has been a reduction of 80% in the number of trucks going through and polluting residential areas all over the city and they are now on a road on which €1 billion is being spent for construction....

Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Nobody saw that.

Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: People were estimating 20,000 cars per year in 2010 rather than the 100,000 we have. The infrastructure for the Naas road and the tunnel has been enormously successful.

Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The intervening work is now under way. Two phases will be completed next year and work on the other phase will be complete by 2010. It is sensible to remove NTR from the equation, introduce barrier-free tolling and complete the €1 billion project. Completion of the work will mean a lot to Deputy Rabbitte's constituents and to people generally.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (20 Feb 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.

Order of Business (20 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is proposed to take No. 16, motion re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Planning and Development Regulations 2007; No. 17, motion re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann for a Council Framework Decision on the fight against organised crime; No. 18, motion re referral to Select Committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) — deferred...

Order of Business (20 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: As I said yesterday and as the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, said, the age of consent has nothing to do with the referendum. We have deliberately formulated the proposal to ensure the age of consent does not enter into the debate in any way; this is about the age of protection, about establishing protection for children in the criminal courts and about creating a strict zone of...

Order of Business (20 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I refer Deputy Kenny to the very long reply given. I believe four legislative issues arise out of this which will be dealt with over a long period — there is no possibility that it will be dealt with now. It might take a few years for some of it to be dealt with. The Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, gave a detailed reply on that matter yesterday. I refer Deputy Kenny to that reply.

Order of Business (20 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: There are plenty of precedents of Ministers coming into this House and voting against Bills proposed by their own parties. I can remember a number of them.