Results 3,941-3,960 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Leaders' Questions (14 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Kenny believes the legislation and procedures are process and a waste of time.

Leaders' Questions (14 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: That is what he said. He said it was blather, process and useless. We are endeavouring to deal with this situation and there is no need to repeat what I have said in this regard. This was a horror for the families and relatives and we must now put a system in place.

Leaders' Questions (14 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It is not just a process. Legislation will provide, for the first time, for the establishment of a statutory office of a chief inspector for social services with statutory responsibilities for the registration and inspection of all nursing home places, both public and private. The chief inspector will inspect the homes against the regulations governing them and standards which will be set...

Leaders' Questions (14 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: We are preparing a new policy to overhaul the system of financial support for people in long-term care. Deputy Kenny asked if these things are happening in other places. We have done everything we can with the HSE and its senior and regional staff to ensure that regulations on the level of inspections of work carried out in nursing homes are implemented across the health board system. The...

Leaders' Questions (14 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Indicators that have been well analysed, with the UN figures only recently coming out, show that we have lifted 250,000 from consistent poverty, including 100,000 children, over the last few years. The figures used internationally show 6% suffer from consistent poverty and we continue under the national anti-poverty strategy to put resources in place. Social welfare expenditure has doubled...

Leaders' Questions (14 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The huge social spending we have undertaken should be acknowledged and it is having a major effect, as has been calculated by every local and international body that has looked at the issue.

Leaders' Questions (14 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I gave the figures at the outset. Deputy Rabbitte has asked me if I agree we must continue these policies of assisting areas that are marginalised and disadvantaged. Of course I do. The point I must make is that we have had significant success because of the formation of the budgets we have introduced in the last number of years, where the less well-off people have got huge increases under...

Leaders' Questions (14 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I addressed this at some length earlier this year, in the spring. The HSE has been indicating to the Government for the last year or so that it has changed its process and procedures in public hospitals with regard to MRSA. It recruited one of the international specialists in this area, an eminent person involved with the issue on the international stage, to bring our standards up to that...

Leaders' Questions (14 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Coroners Bill is being prepared. I understand there is no difficulty preventing the coroners giving the full reports, but I will raise that issue because the families should be given the full facts and details and there is no reason that should not happen.

Leaders' Questions (14 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The legislation will be before the House shortly and Deputies will be able to put their points of view. The Health Service Executive authority has made it very clear to us that it has put together and is endeavouring to implement inspections and hygiene standards to defeat infections and cross infections, to implement protocols for gowning, washing and transfers of food covering a range of...

Task Force on Active Citizenship. (14 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: On the first issue, vast resources have been devoted to helping the process. There are literally hundreds of people working in the process of examining and expediting applications for citizenship. Other countries have different processes for citizenship and they do not have the same appeals system which can include re-appeals and High Court injunctions. The Australian system is very...

Task Force on Active Citizenship. (14 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy is either misrepresenting me or was not listening to me. I gave one example of a single sector that had approximately 800 people working in it. I am not saying they are not needed or that they are not under pressure. Under the White Paper on voluntary activity, we have moved to put substantial resources into pay for individuals working full-time in the sectors. That is not to...

Task Force on Active Citizenship. (14 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It is a difficult job.

Commemorative Events. (14 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 to 12, inclusive, together. The commemorative programme organised for the 90th anniversary of the rising has been very successfully implemented this year. I am satisfied that the national response and appreciation justified the considerable effort. I thank the all-party Oireachtas group for its support in developing the programme. It contributed...

Commemorative Events. (14 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I said I propose the arrangements for 2007 and the years approaching the centenary will be discussed at the all-party group before the Government adopts particular proposals as regards this important strand of our national history. Included in that debate will be the 90th anniversary of the first Dáil. The 75th anniversary was commemorated in the Mansion House in 1994, so the question is...

Commemorative Events. (14 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: No, what I envisage is a military parade, but much smaller in numbers. Perhaps it should be built around an occasion, rather than a full military parade. What happened this year would not be sustainable for every anniversary of Easter Week. Nonetheless, there should be a commemorative event each year, but it does not have to be on the same scale. As regards the Famine, I have met...

Task Force on Active Citizenship. (14 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together. The task force on active citizenship has held four plenary meetings since its appointment. The last meeting took place on 26 October last and the next meeting is scheduled for 30 November. In addition, the task force has set up five sub-groups which meet on a regular basis and are consulting organisations in different sectors....

Task Force on Active Citizenship. (14 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I was very involved in the development of the White Paper and the process was managed by a former Deputy and Minister of State, Chris Flood. It was a far more limited exercise than the task force. It related to community activism and involvement and it did useful work. I received the final report and most of the recommendations have been implemented and funded. Regarding progress made in...

Task Force on Active Citizenship. (14 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: More than 1,000 submissions have been made to date, most of them from national organisations such as sporting and community bodies as well as individuals. It may be worth quoting again the four terms of reference of the task force. The first is to "review the evidence regarding trends in citizen participation across the main areas of civic, community, cultural, occupational and recreational...

Task Force on Active Citizenship. (14 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The charities legislation is an absolute priority. I checked yesterday and it is at an advanced stage. We hope it will be in the House early in the new year. Parliamentary counsel will work on it full time until Christmas. The Indecon report does precisely what Deputy Sargent asked to advance the key principles of the White Paper on supporting voluntary activity, which came out of the work...