Results 4,461-4,480 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: Are politicians the only people with an agenda?

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: What aspect is the Senator referring to?

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: The Senator should stop spreading and creating it.

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: Perhaps we should stop, gather our thoughts and stop spreading that.

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: I could give the Senator a lecture on how to keep in touch with the people.

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: The Senator wants more of them. Have we not learned the lesson about setting up more bureaucracy?

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: That is what we are trying to do.

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: The Government should know.

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: Why did the Committee of Public Accounts not recommend a structure?

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: I am not.

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: It was logical and sensible.

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: It was to be referred to an agency.

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: I am very happy to speak on this motion on behalf of the Government. There have been many inaccurate and mischievous reports regarding the proposed legislative change by the Government on the dormant accounts. It is extraordinary that some of that continues here this evening and people do not seem to be listening to the facts. I note the Opposition's glowing comments in praise of the Minister...

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: It is extraordinary how the Opposition is so complimentary towards the Minister for Finance.

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: This represents a real about turn.

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: I would like to clarify a number of issues. When my Department began implementation of the Dormant Accounts Act, it was found that there were deficiencies in the arrangements in the Act for the spend of the dormant accounts money, including the size of the spend.

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: It would help the Senator if he listened.

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: These related, in the main, to administration and accountability issues. Under the current legislation, there is no provision for any explicit organisational structure, chief executive officer or executive accountability. Instead, the law provides that a part-time chairman providing a few hours' work a month on the dormant accounts should be accountable to the Committee of Public Accounts....

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: That can be done. The Senator should wait for the rest of my speech. In view of these administrative issues, it was apparent that two possible routes could be followed. One was to establish an independent agency with a large staff, chief executive officer, offices, etc, to administer the fund and the other was to use the existing mechanisms of State and accounting procedures, including...

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: The advantage of using the existing infrastructure of State to carry out the above work is that it means that much less of the money than otherwise would be the case will be spent on overheads and administration and that the benefit or the expertise of the whole State system will be available for the evaluation of projects. This would mean legal responsibility for decisions would ultimately...