Results 5,541-5,560 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Leaders' Questions. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: They made it absolutely clear they would not do the two together.

Leaders' Questions. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: They made it absolutely clear that they could not, and would not, do the two jobs together. We must be serious about this, which I thought Deputy Kenny was, although I have grave reservations as to whether Deputy Rabbitte is. Looking back over several elections, there were always between 300,000 and 400,000 additional people on the register. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and...

Leaders' Questions. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I will not go back over the points I already made. Deputy Rabbitte understands that when we put forward the issue of the census enumerators taking the two forms together — a suggestion with which I had no difficulty — they stated they were governed by separate legislation, the time in which it was put to them was inadequate as the census form was a separate operation for which they had...

Leaders' Questions. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The work will be done by 1 November, but the final register is due on 15 February.

Leaders' Questions. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The enumerators are tied up with their census work until mid-June or the end of June. They will not do it in July and August. I do not believe July and August would be the best months to carry it out. Deputy Rabbitte knows that would not be practical. Work on the issue of dealing with deaths is on-going. It does not require people to call to the houses. The local authorities must step up...

Leaders' Questions. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I have covered the ground for this. There will be an early start to the local authority register for this year. If we can we will use census enumerators or other temporary staff. We will make available a budget for local authorities. The next register will be published in draft form on 1 November. Clearly the work must take place up to that date and up to the final register on 15 February....

Leaders' Questions. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Eighteen year olds are always highlighted in the advertising campaign and that should be the case this time also. All political parties do their utmost to ensure that 18 year olds are on the register. Everybody who is legally entitled should be on the register. Deputy Ó Caoláin is missing the point. In the last election in 2002, well over 3 million people were on the register whereas the...

Leaders' Questions. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I accept that. The Minister has been running a campaign based solely on getting people on the register.

Leaders' Questions. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The entire campaign so far has been based on trying to get people on the register. It has been highlighted in the Dáil and the Seanad in recent weeks that a large number of people are on the register who should not be there because they have moved on or they are listed twice or several times. In some cases, people on the register may not exist at all.

Departmental Bodies. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together. The cross-departmental team on housing, infrastructure and public private partnerships last met on 4 April. The agenda included a presentation on broadband, which gave an overview of the impact of broadband, our objectives and challenges for the future. An overview of developments in the management and delivery of public private...

Departmental Bodies. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Under the national development plan we have seen unprecedented investment in both our economic and social infrastructure. To build on that we are now working on the next national development plan and have initiated a consultation process involving the same range of organisations and groups which were involved in previous plans. There must be consultation and the documents to which the Deputy...

Departmental Bodies. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Spending under the public capital programme is at a record level. Many of the projects referred to by the Deputy are being delivered by it. In many cases — I accept not all — PPPs provide services such as water and sewerage schemes and housing and education services in a more efficient and speedy manner. I have said many times in the past few years in answer to questions that until the...

Departmental Bodies. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The cross-departmental group has dealt with those issues, mainly through submitting reports to Cabinet sub-committees. I hope there will be greater success in the delivery on a cross-departmental basis of water and sewerage programmes and roads programmes. Most of the issues concerned cover at least four or five Departments. The senior officials group and the individuals concerned work...

Departmental Bodies. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The proposed metro route has been discussed by the cross-departmental team. Its report on the authority for the greater Dublin area has been completed and discussed at the relevant Cabinet sub-committee. The structure presented in the report to the Minister will be discussed and decisions will be made in the next few months.

Departmental Bodies. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy asked if the cross-departmental team spends much time on housing — it does and it spends much time on housing, roads and other essential infrastructure. The Minister and Ministers of State have spelt out a range of issues in these areas and there is no need for me to go into them. The Deputy knows I did not say I was satisfied with the rate of increase in house prices. That is...

Departmental Bodies. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The commitment on affordable housing was that we would give over 10,000 housing units in total that were projected for delivery under the initiative and that will be achieved. It was never envisaged that it could be achieved over the short period of the programme but that the State would identify sites and hand them over. There are now 70 projects with State and local authority lands where...

Departmental Bodies. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Everyone should work with them to make progress in this area.

Leaders' Questions. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: We probably all agree the issues surrounding the electoral register need to be addressed urgently. Those issues, including the over-statement of people on the register, have been around a long time. It was early in my political life when the register was properly dealt with by local authorities and the political system. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy...

Leaders' Questions. (3 May 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Kenny asked a number of questions. I spoke of census enumerators or other temporary staff being used and ring-fenced resources used for overtime or weekend work. Therefore, it is obviously a matter of additional bodies to help. Every local authority has its own system. The problem is that while people such as rate collectors and others are involved in collecting the information, there...

Order of Business. (26 Apr 2006)

Bertie Ahern: We tried to work out Deputy Stagg's motion. I wish to say to the Whips that while I have agreed to this a few times, it is very unpopular with Members from all parties. They say to me it upsets things they have arranged to do at 8.30 p.m. In fairness to Members of the House, if we are going to do that, we should have the vote at an earlier stage. The last day I agreed to this on the floor of...