Results 4,861-4,880 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I am happy to stand here and defend our health service against a crowd of geniuses who did not even bother to get facts — that is the point.

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I gave the facts.

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: That shows how seriously Deputy Kenny takes his reports. However, I will not go down the same road. There is a lot to be done in the health service and we have reformed much of it.

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Kenny's point is partly correct because the report stated we have, correctly, abandoned the health board system. I would rather consider the OECD report on health data. While the survey group worked from international data, it obviously picked up on the necessary reform of the outdated system of the health boards which existed for three and a half decades. The Government reformed that...

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It took us time to change an old and dated system which originally replaced the local authority-based system. We have amended and centralised the old system into the Health Service Executive. The Government has also made large improvements in the health service along the way. Latest figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre show that national uptake rate for polio vaccination is...

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I hope I get the same attention as my colleagues have given to Deputy Rabbitte.

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte is dead right; people are concerned about the economy. They are heartened to see the country has had an annual growth rate of 6% and 7% over a series of years. They are heartened that employment continues to grow, taxes have been reduced, much resources have gone into building new hospitals and improving the education services at first, second and third level. They are...

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I am concerned about that too.

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I am not prepared to consider a report that makes blatant errors about the health service. As I have already said, the report states a general practitioner service does not exist. The survey asked whether a patient can have a same day service from their family doctor. To this the survey stated in Ireland it is a blanket "no". That is wrong. We have a GP service that will see patients on a...

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It is wrong for the survey to conclude that Ireland has a severe waiting lists problems. We do not have one.

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: We have made substantial progress.

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I wish to answer Deputy Rabbitte. In 1997 three quarters of adults waiting for cardiac surgery waited for well over a year. Deputy Rabbitte was at the Cabinet table when that was allowed to happen. Matters got worse in the period in which the Deputy was at the Cabinet table. The waiting time for coronary——

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Please let me answer Deputy Rabbitte.

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The waiting time for a coronary angiogram is now no more than two months. A total of 11% of people wait no more than a year for cardiac thoracic surgery and most patients wait for only a few months. The number of patients waiting for cancer treatment is also down. I accept there are problems and difficulties. I am aware we have problems with gangland killings in some areas where drug dealers...

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I commend the Garda for their daily successes in dealing with these issues. The Government is investing significant effort and resources in this area. I will not go into all the statistics of where that puts us internationally. We are working on these issues. I will not take it from Deputy Rabbitte that a Government I lead and colleagues and backbenchers who work extraordinarily hard are out...

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: This Government is determined to work to complete its mandate to continue to build a successful country. The Deputy may have an alternative strategy, but the only thing I know about the Mullingar strategy is that the Government has bypassed Mullingar in terms of roads and the people will do the same with the Deputy's policies.

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte had his Sunday outing last Sunday, which I was glad to see, but it showed the huge contradictions on the age of consent. Perhaps he will tell the people about some of these issues. In the meantime the Government will deal with party activities in a structured, organised way unlike the heavy-handed way the Deputy dealt with some issues in the past in terms of disciplining party...

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte referred to the Government being out of touch and at sixes and sevens, but he covered eight Departments in his questions. I am happy to reply to questions on any Department, as I do every day. The Deputy's attack on the policy of the former, distinguished member of the Labour Party, Barry Desmond, who introduced the hospital closure system, is uncalled for.

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: For those Members who were not around in the 1980s, they will remember the announcements that were made. I think that is uncalled for.

Leaders' Questions. (27 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I am pleased to see Deputy Rabbitte has changed his mind about the former leader of this party, Mr. Haughey.