Results 3,161-3,180 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The attempt to almost try and entice young people who are not involved in drugs to become involved——

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——is an irresponsible approach.

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Kehoe almost wants it to be that way.

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: We should support the efforts of the Garda and others in the various schemes aimed at drug prevention to try to eliminate the problems we have and not overstate or exaggerate the severity of the problem in communities. The situation is not as the Deputies portray it.

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I have answered questions in the House on this issue a number of times. In fairness, Deputies Rabbitte and Broughan, and other Members of the House, have raised it with me as well, including Members on my own side. Tonight is the anniversary of the fire of St. Valentine's Day of 1981 which resulted in 48 deaths and 200 people injured. It was an overwhelming tragedy which left an enduring...

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I have dealt with the senior and key people involved in this matter.

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I do not wish to play politics with this matter. I spoke with Deputy Broughan in the corridor last week and allowed him to speak with my officials. If the Deputy wants to play politics with the matter, there is no point in me trying to deal with it here. He knows——

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: No, it is not. I spoke to the Deputy last week and he spoke to my officials. He knows the situation and I ask him not to play politics with the matter. I am doing my best to resolve it and I will do that.

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Yes, and they felt like this 26 years ago. I am trying to ensure they do not feel the same in 26 years' time. I am trying to resolve it in a manner suggested by Deputy Broughan's party leader. I cannot go against the State's forensic scientists and reopen an investigation. I can only do so on the interpretation of the evidence, as suggested by Deputy Rabbitte, and I am prepared to do so....

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: My officials have already suggested an eminent legal person and terms of reference to the families and their representatives. We seek agreement on both. The person we suggested has carried out a number of inquiries for the State but the families will not accept that person. My officials have had the terms of reference ready for some considerable time but will not publish them until...

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The capital programme in education this year is €540 million and 1,500 schools will benefit from improvements in renovations and restructuring this year. That has been the case for several years. The Deputy must acknowledge that in the last number of years there have been more new schools built and more renovations than ever in the history of the State.

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: There are 4,000 more primary teachers in our schools since 2002, 7,000 more than in 1997 and 1,200 of these posts were created last year. We have reduced the average primary school class to 24 pupils.

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: With the unprecedented increase in support staff there is now one teacher for every 17 primary school children, down from 22.

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Children who need extra help get more support than ever. Deputy Sargent knows that the majority of the extra teachers hired in recent years have, rightly, been aimed at support for children with special needs, those in disadvantaged areas and those who need help with English. We could have taken teachers across the board and reduced the pupil teacher ratio but we have employed teachers for...

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: These teachers have not only made an immeasurable difference to the lives of these children but they also provide vital back-up for the classroom teachers. I make no apologies for putting extra resources into those who need them most. It was the right thing to do.

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: If we had put these extra teachers into the classrooms rather than priority areas they would have done much to reduce the class sizes in our school.

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: If we had put the 7,000 teachers into the classrooms that would have caused a significant drop in the pupil teacher ratio. However, we did not do that but aimed overwhelmingly to help people with special needs and disabilities. We would not have been able to put the necessary resources into special education, disadvantaged children and language support. Now that these priorities have been...

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Where there are large class sizes such as the Deputy mentioned it is because a decision has been taken at local level to use the teaching resources to have smaller numbers in other classes, which I understand. A school might have one class of 35 and another of 21. Many schools have opted to do that.

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I think Deputy Sargent would acknowledge that the building programme, which was very small and is now over €500 million a year, is making a significant improvement with new schools, renovation work and extensions across the country. He must also acknowledge that the 7,000 extra teachers have made a significant difference to the lives of people with special needs and disabilities.

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Sargent should not get excited. The reality——