Results 5,661-5,680 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Leaders' Questions. (25 Apr 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Tánaiste's announcement last year that she would support the building of private hospitals on the grounds of acute public hospitals where they are not already there — many public hospitals already have a private hospital on the grounds — was to ensure that beds taken up on a private basis by consultants who have contracts that allow them to do private work are moved into the new...

Leaders' Questions. (25 Apr 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Those who pay for private medicine are entitled to private health care.

Leaders' Questions. (25 Apr 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The purpose is to get better, more efficient use of staff on one campus by having the public beds together and allowing the staff to work on the campus in the hours outside their public commitment. It makes sense and is widely supported by medical staff.

Leaders' Questions. (25 Apr 2006)

Bertie Ahern: In the late 1980s there were practically no day care cases, but now over 500,000 cases are day care so the figure from the late 1980s is not comparable with that of today. The first people to oppose that would be the consultants because they deal with more than 500,000 cases on a day care basis, which is not how it was 15 years ago.

Leaders' Questions. (25 Apr 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy asked a range of questions which jumped around the specialties in the health service. I will try to answer them. Professor Drumm stated that the beds that are at present planned or under construction should be finished and then we will not require any more. Therefore, the issue the Deputy raises will not arise until those beds are finished.

Leaders' Questions. (25 Apr 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I am trying to answer Deputy Joe Higgins. The Deputy referred to the consultants who would be totally committed to the public sector. I agree with that point. The Tánaiste in her reform proposal would like to make provision whereby we could have public consultants. As the Deputy knows, that is not the position for the entire consultant staff, given that others work on a 9:11 sessional basis...

Leaders' Questions. (25 Apr 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I was making the point in reply to Deputy Higgins that in a public hospital, where there are public beds in public wards and other beds are designated private, it would make better use of the management and the medical and nursing provision if those beds were designated public in their entirety. When consultants operate in private wards, which is what they want to do, and which is the service...

Leaders' Questions. (25 Apr 2006)

Bertie Ahern: This is not new. This arrangement has been happening in hospitals for half a century.

Leaders' Questions. (25 Apr 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I will abide by your ruling, a Cheann Comhairle, but I have a difficulty.

Leaders' Questions. (25 Apr 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I have asked my party and Government colleagues not to interrupt the leaders but, unfortunately, the leaders of the Opposition refuse to make any effort to control the Members on their backbenches.

Leaders' Questions. (25 Apr 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I am in a position——

Leaders' Questions. (25 Apr 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I accept that.

Leaders' Questions. (25 Apr 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte would not prefer if I just let my 40 or 50 colleagues interrupt him non-stop. We would be very good at doing that.

Leaders' Questions. (25 Apr 2006)

Bertie Ahern: If Deputy Rabbitte wants it that way, perhaps he should ask the questions and I will send a written reply.

Leaders' Questions. (25 Apr 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It is entirely unfair that Deputy Joe Higgins, my fellow socialist colleague, is not allowed to hear the answer to a question that I can answer. He is being heckled by Deputies Cowley, Kenny and Rabbitte. In reply to Deputy Higgins, I was explaining that this system is in the interest of patients and will be far better for the management of the service. It is not to make tax breaks for...

Leaders' Questions. (25 Apr 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It will be a far more efficient system. The health service will work far better if we can implement reform.

Order of Business. (5 Apr 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It is proposed to take No. 12, Road Safety Authority Bill 2004 — Report Stage (resumed) and Final Stage; No. 13 — Employment Permits Bill 2005 — Order for Report, Report and Final Stages; and No. 14 — statements on Sellafield, to be taken at 5.55 p.m. and the order shall not resume thereafter. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that No. 14 shall, if not...

Order of Business. (5 Apr 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Both pharmacy Bills are to be ready during the course of this year. The charities regulation Bill is large. Work is proceeding as speedily as possible and it has been receiving priority. The heads were approved by Government approximately one month ago and we hope to have it in the House this year. I hope many of the substantive legal issues that surround charitable donations and bequests...

Order of Business. (5 Apr 2006)

Bertie Ahern: As I stated this morning, when the work is completed on this it must be brought to the House for approval. The management must now take it forward and it depends on when that work is complete.

Order of Business. (5 Apr 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The defamation Bill should be available shortly. Work is well advanced on it. The report on the privacy Bill is prepared but the heads have not yet been drafted.