Results 4,001-4,020 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Official Engagements. (7 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I will abide by the Ceann Comhairle's ruling in these questions. I will bring the Deputy's question to the attention of the sub-committee. For the information of the House, the details of the sub-committee's operations may be asked of the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern.

Official Engagements. (7 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The sub-committee is made up of the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Minister for Education and Science, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, the Minister for Finance, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the Minister for Health and Children and the...

Official Engagements. (7 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Day-to-day operational issues relating to drugs are dealt with by the Garda Síochána. The Ministers and the sub-committee are involved in co-ordinating various policy issues. The Deputy referred to day-to-day issues, which are dealt with by the Garda Commissioner or the members of the dedicated drugs task force, working with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. They are...

Official Engagements. (7 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The drugs issue is not a monthly but a daily issue and meetings are always going on with the regional groups outside of the committee structures. The purpose of the meeting is to co-ordinate activity across Departments and agencies on the policy or day to day issues of drugs and deal with questions put down for the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform or the Minister of State...

Commissions of Inquiry. (7 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 to 15, inclusive, together. As Deputies know, I answered extensive questions in the House the week before last on the Commission of Investigation into the Dublin and Monaghan Bombings which is chaired by Mr. Paddy MacEntee SC. As I indicated then, I have now granted a further extension to Mr. MacEntee until 11 December. I published his latest interim...

Commissions of Inquiry. (7 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy has raised a number of points. I agree with him that the reports are excellent. We have had four comprehensive reports ranging from the early work of the late Mr. Justice Liam Hamilton to the work in recent years which has been painstakingly carried out, and has involved huge detail, by Mr. Justice Barron. Mr. Justice Barron who has worked within offices of my Department for...

Leaders' Questions. (7 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Kenny asked about Moyross in particular. There is a very good community in Moyross. There is a very committed group of people in Moyross who are, and have been for some time, doing their utmost across a range of services. From youth groups and senior citizens' groups to people working in the home and people looking after children, they are doing their best to deal with the...

Leaders' Questions. (7 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: ——but there are also excellent people who want to live in peace and harmony. What the State must do is protect them and give them the resources, and give the commitment to do that. We are doing that and we are determined to continue to do that.

Leaders' Questions. (7 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: When I met them about four weeks ago they presented me with a report, which they had prepared over the course of the year and in which they asked for a range of activities to address it. It is a difficult area. They pointed out to me the surrounding countryside where there are approximately 100 acres of land on which there is only one industry employing 40 or 50 local people.

Leaders' Questions. (7 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: A short distance away land costs several million euro an acre. What they have been asking for is a development plan, which would look at issues like access to the estates, zoning of the land for business purposes and high protection, and they have been given that. There is nowhere else in the country where I have seen, both personally and in records, such a level of gardaí engaged in...

Leaders' Questions. (7 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It does not really matter where a child or anybody else is injured — we all condemn that kind of action. We have seen a complete disregard for human life by a small minority of people in our cities and we should not try to make anything out of that. I remember well when Veronica Guerin was shot and, thankfully, this party had at that time drafted legislation that was able to be...

Leaders' Questions. (7 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The crime figures of the CSO show that the level of crime is down per 1,000 of population.

Leaders' Questions. (7 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: That does not take away from the problem that we are dealing with, and the gardaí and the special detective unit increasingly are landing large hits against the criminal gangs in terms of detections, arrests and confiscation of drugs and arms. We can see there is a minority of hardened criminals who believe this is a fast way of making themselves rich and who disregard the law and...

Leaders' Questions (Resumed). (7 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I welcome the report, which was conducted as part of a survey involving 12 EU member states to assess the prevalence of racism and discrimination, as experienced by people themselves. The main benefit of the report is that one is getting a view from the street. While there were many positive aspects to the report, I will ignore them and examine the two difficulties. A total of 35% of...

Leaders' Questions (Resumed). (7 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Minister for Education and Science informs me that the 800 teachers are involved solely in language training and have no other duties. In schools of under 14 pupils, a grant will be given towards obtaining the relevant services. I will raise the issue of FÁS with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin, but I understand from the FÁS director general that there...

Leaders' Questions (Resumed). (7 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: From briefings with senior gardaí, I know that they have been working very closely with a number of different groups to try to deal with some of the criminal matters that are creeping into society via immigrants. There are difficulties in this regard, but the Garda is trying to resource the issue, which has become a feature during the past year or so.

Leaders' Questions (Resumed). (7 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The report of the independent international panel on alleged collusion in sectarian killings in Northern Ireland was launched in Belfast and Dublin yesterday. The panel met with officials after the launch to brief them on the contents of the report and the panel's findings and recommendations. We are up to date with the issue and are pursuing it. The Department of Foreign Affairs has been...

Written Answers — Law Reform Commission: Law Reform Commission (1 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The annual budget allocation for the Law Reform Commission for each year from 1997 to 2006 is set out as follows: Year â'¬ 1997 688,000 1998 707,000 1999 1,102,000 2000 1,150,000 2001 1,279,000 2002 1,348,000 2003 1,577,000 2004 1,593,000 2005 1,900,000 2006 2,044,000

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (1 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: My Department did not incur any expenditure on photographers relating to my Constituency Office or the Constituency Offices of the Ministers of State in the period concerned.

Order of Business (1 Nov 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It is proposed to take No. 11, Health (Nursing Homes) Amendment Bill 2006 — Report and Final Stages, resumed; and No. 12, Citizens Information Bill 2006, Second Stage, resumed. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that Private Members' Business shall be No. 25 — Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2006 — Second Stage, which shall take place tomorrow...