Results 5,101-5,120 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

State Prosecution Service. (7 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: As indicated in reply to previous questions on the matter, the recommendations of the Nally report in respect of the reorganisation of the Office of the Chief State Solicitor have been largely implemented. Agreement with the unions involved was achieved during 2001. The criminal prosecutions functions undertaken by the Office of the Chief State Solicitor were transferred to the Office of...

State Prosecution Service. (7 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Nally report set out a number of recommendations, including that responsibility for local State solicitors should be transferred from the Attorney General to the DPP, with legislative provisions to enable the DPP to delegate to them; that the appointment of State solicitors should be made on the recommendation of the Public Appointments Service, subject to agreement on adequate staffing...

State Prosecution Service. (7 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The recommendation in respect of cannabis was not part of the Nally report. All work under Nally, with the exception of issues relating to the local State solicitors, is complete. Perhaps the working group is dealing with another section in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform but it has nothing to do with the Nally report. I will seek information on the matter and forward a...

State Prosecution Service. (7 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: All the recommendations of the Nally report have been implemented. The only outstanding issue relates to the work of the local State solicitors. I do not think the issue raised by the Deputy was covered by the Nally report but I will check. If it was, I will contact him in writing.

State Prosecution Service. (7 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Nally report was undertaken when the DPP's office and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor faced significant caseloads. Following a number of reviews, large numbers of new staff were approved. An additional 75 staff were recruited by the CSSO, including 66 in the professional and technical complement, while a significant number of legal clerks, senior legal clerks, staff officers and...

State Prosecution Service. (7 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: There is no problem with the statutory procedures but the communication procedures could perhaps be examined. The statutory work undertaken between them has not been raised as a problem and it does not require amendment.

State Prosecution Service. (7 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The criminal division of the Office of the Chief State Solicitor has been transferred to the Office of the DPP. That was done with statutory clarification that the professional staff are professional staff of the DPP within the meaning of the 1974 Act. The only outstanding issue concerns local State solicitors and efforts are being made on negotiations to bring them within the ambit of the...

Legislative Programme. (7 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 to 8, inclusive, together. My Department has one legislative matter for the current Oireachtas session. The National Economic and Social Development Office Bill 2002 has completed all stages in the Dáil. The Bill commenced Committee Stage in the Seanad and this is due to resume on Thursday, 15 June. My Department will soon be bringing the text of the...

Legislative Programme. (7 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I do not have information on Bills other than those relating to my Department but these could be discussed on the Order of Business. The Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Brian Lenihan, is dealing with the register and trying to co-ordinate work on the issue. I am not sure what stage it has reached. We have set out the A list for this session, which runs until...

Legislative Programme. (7 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: No, I do not have any proposed legislation.

Legislative Programme. (7 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Not over the next year.

Legislative Programme. (7 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: In dealing with my own Department, I have no such legislation. Obviously, there are complex and important issues and we should deal with them within the context of the all-party group as soon as possible.

Legislative Programme. (7 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The White Paper on Better Regulation, published two and a half years ago, includes a commitment to carry out an analysis of all the pre-1922 legislation. The first part of that project was completed with the enactment of the Statute Law Revision (Pre-1922) Act 2005, which was finalised last December. The first part of that would have dealt with much of the legislation Deputy Sargent...

Legislative Programme. (7 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Work on the updating of the Statute Book has gone on for almost a decade. The statutes were put on CD-ROM, the statutory instruments were listed, the pre-1922 legislation was dealt with and the Statute Law (Restatement) Act was passed four years ago. The 2,600 Acts are to be dealt with — 2,300 will be amended while 300 will remain and be brought forward by means of the white list. That work...

Legislative Programme. (7 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Unless the Government makes a decision on that——

Order of Business. (7 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It is proposed to take No. 19, Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006 [Seanad] — Second Stage, resumed; and No. 1, Criminal Justice (Mutual Assistance) Bill 2005 [Seanad] — Second Stage. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that Private Members' business shall be No. 29, Greyhound Industry (Doping Regulation) Bill 2006 — Second Stage, which...

Leaders' Questions. (7 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I hope I was not vague. I certainly did not intend to be vague. Subject to correction — I will have to check for Deputy Kenny — I think 20 cases were covered by sections 1(1) and 1(2). Regarding the new procedures, it is clear a communication issue arose in the context of the handling of the case. As I pointed out, that did not take from the work done by the offices of the DPP and the...

Leaders' Questions. (7 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I am more interested in what I do for the future. As I outlined and as will be noted from the information I will circulate, what I can do is ensure the existence of procedures designed to make sure this does not happen again. I repeat that the aforementioned circumstances made no difference to the way the case was fought on behalf of the State. I reject the implication that they did because...

Leaders' Questions. (7 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Kenny should note that it was clear to all of us as we examined the legislation over the past week that the best way to consider and update it annually according to current standards is to have an independent, special rapporteur for the protection of children. This person would report annually on standards and would consider all the legislation and issues in question. We would have one...

Leaders' Questions. (7 Jun 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Like many Members, I have read numerous suggestions to the effect that we should bring forward for discussion the more substantive related issues, which did not involve not legal points but which are connected to social policy and behavioural matters. Some of this thinking is already being reviewed by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The Minister for Justice, Equality and...