Results 3,141-3,160 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern
- Social Partnership. (13 Feb 2007)
Bertie Ahern: There are talks going on which I have done my utmost to assist. The workers and Greencore management are aware of this. I hope these talks will make some progress. They should because it is in the interest of both parties to resolve this issue. I hope the talks are successful and it is only right they should come to a satisfactory conclusion. I have spoken up for the workers in this case...
- Social Partnership. (13 Feb 2007)
Bertie Ahern: I met the Greencore workers' representatives two weeks ago last Friday. They asked me to take two actions, namely, to make direct contact with both the Labour Court and the company. I am surprised and disappointed that the workers' representatives told Deputy Rabbitte that they were unaware of any such progress last Friday week. I got back to them within four days to tell them precisely...
- Social Partnership. (13 Feb 2007)
Bertie Ahern: I accept what the Deputy says. Within four or five days of our meeting, I told the representatives that I had urged the company's senior executive to engage with them on the terms of the Labour Court recommendation. I have no guarantee that such engagement will resolve the matter but I made my views clear to the company management. There is not a huge amount of money involved and the...
- Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)
Bertie Ahern: I hope Deputy Kenny is not against action in these areas.
- Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)
Bertie Ahern: We see this every day.
- Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)
Bertie Ahern: Will the Opposition give poor Deputy Kenny a chance? Deputy Kenny knows the figures he has quoted are just made up. The Central Statistics Office produces the figures. I checked and I am not allowed to use the unparliamentary term for it. The Deputy knows it was a totally made up, twisted load of lies.
- Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)
Bertie Ahern: I withdraw the word "lies".
- Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)
Bertie Ahern: Deputy Kenny raised two issues. He outlined figures, which I must correct. According to the CSO census data and inter-census estimates of population, the crime rate per thousand of population dropped from 26 in 2003 to 24.5 last year. The figures for 2004 and 2005 were 24.5 and 24.8, respectively. The comparative crime rate per thousand a decade ago was 27.8. The figures show a welcome...
- Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)
Bertie Ahern: Last November the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform stated he would bring forward further legislative proposals because of a number of issues that had arisen relating to bail, sentencing, the right to silence and so on. The proposals have been in draft form and have been worked out in the Department. We also said we would prepare legislation on a DNA database. The House called...
- Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)
Bertie Ahern: I expected Deputy Kenny to welcome these proposals rather than question the Minister's bona fides.
- Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)
Bertie Ahern: I remind the Deputy that people are innocent until they are proven guilty. People who come before the courts are entitled under our Constitution and the law of the land to make their case. It is another issue if the Deputy is asking that everybody who comes before the courts should be locked up and he can implement that.
- Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)
Bertie Ahern: I also remind the Deputy of the principle of separation of powers. All those who came before the courts did not look to me to ask what happened. It is fair enough to ask me whether we should stiffen our bail laws and that is precisely what the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform will do in the criminal justice Bill. These issues were examined previously but the House refused to...
- Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)
Bertie Ahern: Today's proposals will make it more difficult to obtain bail in drug trafficking, firearms and other cases related to gangland activity.
- Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)
Bertie Ahern: A senior garda can give his opinion that a bail application should be refused on the grounds that it is his opinion that the person will commit serious offences if granted bail. The applicant may be required to give a statement of his assets at home and abroad; his income and the sources of his income; his previous criminal record; and any offences committed while on bail. Applications for...
- Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)
Bertie Ahern: Similar proposals have been examined many times previously and Members have rejected such proposals many times. On sentencing, there will be tighter controls to monitor post-release activity and enhanced penalties will be provided for those who re-offend within seven years of a previous serious offence. Further guidance will be provided on the circumstances where the mandatory minimum...
- Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)
Bertie Ahern: New offences will be created, which will be aimed at those who assist and facilitate gangland bosses. It will be a serious offence to have cash or articles without being able to account for them and there will be changes relating to the right to silence. The law will be updated and clarified and, as a result, a suspect will be in no doubt about the implications of not giving a full account...
- Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)
Bertie Ahern: In reply to Deputy Kenny, these kind of tough measures are necessary because in some cases there are problems with gangland crime.
- Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)
Bertie Ahern: I do not believe we should say crime is rampant and there are serious drug problems in every village, community and locality because that is not the case.
- Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)
Bertie Ahern: There is not.
- Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)
Bertie Ahern: A relatively small proportion of our population is involved with drugs.