Results 4,581-4,600 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Official Engagements. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Yes. That is allowed within the procedures. People do not want to unravel all the good work that Deputy Gormley did on the convention, which I acknowledged, and to go back down that road again. I think it will come around.

Official Engagements. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I do not want to go into the Defence (Amendment) Bill other than to state — I discussed this with my Finnish colleague — there is a significant movement from all of these countries, the former neutral countries, to involve themselves in the battle group on humanitarian issues and not to encounter the difficulties we had previously in Bosnia Herzegovina and other countries. We will be able...

Official Engagements. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I said the countries——

Official Engagements. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I am not sure if I did or not.

Official Engagements. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: What if I did? They have changed their position, as Deputy Gormley will know. There is a live debate in Sweden and Finland about joining NATO. They are changing their position fundamentally.

Official Engagements. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: We are not. We will find ourselves in a very different position from that group. The reality is they have moved their position whereas we have not.

Official Engagements. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I did not discuss those issues with the parliamentary delegation.

Official Engagements. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Our embassy has a small number. I recall seeing them at the time of the two kidnappings with the Bigley and Hassan families. There are Irish nationals in Iraq and contact is maintained. Those who are there sought to stay. The number is small but contact is maintained.

Order of Business. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It is proposed to take No. a12, motion re Report of the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the Bombing of Kay's Tavern, Dundalk; No. 20, Road Traffic Bill 2006 [Seanad] — Order for Report, Report and Final Stages; No. 21, Statements on national wage agreement, to be taken following the announcement of matters on the adjournment under Standing Order 21 and the order shall resume...

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I agree with Deputy Kenny and congratulate the Minister for Finance on an outstanding result in the six month figures. By any standard, these are good figures. They consistently follow what this Government has been doing in soundly managing the economy through excellent fiscal policies. Yesterday's figures show that an Exchequer surplus of €880 million was recorded in the second quarter of...

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: That is against a debt to GDP ratio of under 20%, the second lowest in Europe and one of the lowest in the OECD countries. If that is netted against the €16 billion we have saved in the National Pensions Reserve Fund, which the Deputy supports, we have one of the lowest ratios of all. If taxes come in as we think likely and expenditure comes in on target and there are no surprises, we will...

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: There is a strong economy because this Government has worked with the people to make it so. There are 600,000 more people working.

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The population has increased by 14% so 2 million people are on the road every day and that creates difficulties. We prefer that there are more people on the roads. We export €150 billion of goods that cannot get from Ireland to other countries without transport.

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: We have built up huge industries across a range of areas and have high growth. I am glad to see Deputy Kenny acknowledging the strength of the economy. Most of his party opposes our policies and votes against them and our budget strategy but we are building record numbers of homes and spending enormous amounts on transport. The Luas project, which the Opposition tried to laugh off, is now in...

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: We will continue doing that. It is uncomfortable for the Opposition to have to look at a country doing so well and know that it played no part in that for 25 years. The danger for the country is that perhaps it would play a part in it because we want to stay where we are and keep on going strong.

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I appreciate Deputy Rabbitte raising this matter. If he had spoken to me about it beforehand I could have checked it and tried to find out some details. I do not want to add to the discomfort of the O'Gorman family but if I can add my weight to try to do something for them I will do so. I have no knowledge of the case whatsoever. I do not know what has happened or what the pump is.

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I do not know what the medical condition is but I will be glad to examine the individual case.

Leaders' Questions. (5 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: All I can do is check into the individual case and try to be helpful to the people involved. On the general point concerning staff, 130,000 people work in our health service every day. They deal with approximately 1 million people per year. One of the nice things about being Taoiseach is the letters I receive from families all over the country acknowledging and praising everything from...

Government Record: Motion. (4 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: He has a lot of injury time because he was interrupted so much.

Government Record: Motion. (4 Jul 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "General Election" in the first line and substitute the following: "commends the Government for the strategic vision which it has displayed and the competence with which it has discharged its duties, such that: — more than 600,000 jobs have been created since the Government took office in 1997 while the rate of unemployment has been reduced...