Results 4,141-4,160 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: ——regarding the procedures that were being operated in each of the councils. From what Members said during that debate, a number of those initiatives have been successful in terms of getting coherence in what local authorities do and how they treat housing developments, whether apartments or estates. I have previously made the point that these management companies were intended in the...

Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I thank the Deputy for acknowledging the local authority effort and what the Minister is doing. Based on the present report of the Director of Consumer Affairs, we will see if there is a legislative mechanism to deal with this issue. It is under examination in both the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. I do...

Order of Business (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It is proposed to take No. 2, Citizens Information Bill 2006 — Order for Second Stage and Second Stage. Private Members' business shall be No. 49, motion re health services.

Order of Business (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The road traffic (amendment) Bill is listed for 2007. The Dublin transportation authority Bill is due this session. Subject to correction, I understand the report on assisted human reproduction is before a committee of the House.

Order of Business (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I will need to check its status. On An Daingean, the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Ó Cuív, has noted the result of the plebiscite that voted in favour of changing the name from An Daingean to the composite and bilingual Dingle-Daingean Uí Chúis. He previously made clear that was one option on which he could not act within the law. The Kerry County Council...

Order of Business (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: He will need to look at it now.

Order of Business (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The draft heads of the judicial council Bill to provide effective remedies for complaints about judicial misbehaviour, including lay participation in the investigation of complaints, are being prepared in the Department, taking into account work done by the Constitution review group, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Constitution and the Chief Justice's committee on judicial ethics. It...

Tribunals of Inquiry. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: On the first question, to the end of August 2006, the total cost to the Exchequer of completed and sitting tribunals of inquiry and other public inquiries was €263,836,000. Of this, €188,907,000 was in respect of legal costs and €74,929,000 related to other costs. The figure for legal costs includes €75,444,000 in respect of third party legal costs awarded to date. The Deputy is...

Tribunals of Inquiry. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I thought I answered the first question on two occasions. We have had no information in the form of drafts or otherwise on the substance or substantial issues of the first or second Moriarty tribunal reports. There would be some limited issues in my Department and we would only have had reference to them. They would have been very minor. They would not have had anything to do with the...

Tribunals of Inquiry. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The new rates represent less than 40% of the maximum current rates paid to tribunals of inquiry. They give an indication of the potential savings arising in the future.

Tribunals of Inquiry. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I have mentioned the dates. The relevant dates are the end of January 2007 for the Moriarty tribunal, the end of October 2007 for the Morris tribunal and the end of March for the Mahon tribunal. It is obvious that we will have to await the outcome of the tribunals before we can deal with other outstanding issues.

National Security Committee. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 to 17, inclusive, together. As the work of the National Security Committee is confidential, it would not be appropriate for me to disclose information about the dates of its meetings and proceedings. The committee, which is chaired by the Secretary General to the Government, comprises representatives at the highest level from the Departments of Justice,...

National Security Committee. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Kenny will recall that after the events of September 2001 I mentioned on a number of occasions that the Garda was involved in operational matters relating to a small number of suspects linked to al-Qaeda. This is what has emanated from these reports which suggest there were six units associated with Islamic terrorist organisations active here. These units were described as logistical...

National Security Committee. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: This report was presented in such a way as to suggest there were six units associated with Islamic terrorist organisations in operation. I did not see the full text of the documents, but one would think it referred to six active cells. However, on further reading one will find that it referred to people who showed operational support. It refers mainly to logistical and financial support...

Dublin-Monaghan Bombings. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 7, inclusive, together. In accordance with the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights, which considered the Barron report on the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, the Government appointed Mr. Patrick MacEntee SC as sole member of a commission of investigation to examine specific matters relating to the Dublin...

Dublin-Monaghan Bombings. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I undertake to do so, as has been the case with all such reports. I will consult the representatives of the victims' groups and ensure they receive the report in due time. I am not privy to precisely what Mr. MacEntee will report on. I understand from my officials who met him yesterday that his investigative work is completed. He has received quite a lot of co-operation and has followed a...

Dublin-Monaghan Bombings. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It is my intention to publish the report as soon as possible after it is received. I am required by law to consider certain issues prior to publication. This is likely to involve legal advice from the Attorney General and I have to submit it to the Cabinet for publication. As in the case of other reports, the timescale involved between receipt and publication of reports is impossible to...

Dublin-Monaghan Bombings. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It depends on what is in the report and how Mr. MacEntee presents it, but I certainly wish to publish the report as quickly as possible because we have to put it into the committee. The House must be sitting when we publish the report. As I understand it, Mr. MacEntee can make recommendations. On the point I made about the British Government, I think there has been co-operation because Mr....

Dublin-Monaghan Bombings. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: As regards timing, I know that Mr. MacEntee would like to wrap up this work on the important aspects that were referred to him. Obviously, he wants to bring it to a successful conclusion following the work of the Hamilton and Barron inquires as well as the work of the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights. He has done a lot of work and brought the inquiry to a...

Dublin-Monaghan Bombings. (24 Oct 2006)

Bertie Ahern: For many decades nothing happened on all of these matters. In recent years, however, we have worked through Mr. Justice Hamilton, Mr. Justice Barron, the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights and, currently, the Commissions of Investigation Act to obtain and make available as much detail as we can from the British system, the Northern Ireland Office and the Garda...