Results 561-580 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: They should never have been here in the first place. They should have been banned, as I said several times. More imaginative proposals could be developed. There are very few park and ride facilities. In other cities these facilities are the norm and work well. Luas capacity will increase by 40% and we will have more trams. The trams we have on the red and green lines will be extended....

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: They are happening. The Deputy is worried about a car breaking down. However, I remind the Deputy his party was outside the gates of Leinster House criticising Deputy Mary O'Rourke and me about the Luas and saying it would never happen.

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: I never heard the Opposition Deputies say how great it was when it was set up. The metro line is now being planned. We are putting billions into infrastructure and things are happening for the first time ever. There are improvements also on rail lines and we now have an hourly train to Cork and Belfast and an improved service to Sligo. We should acknowledge the incredible improvements...

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: There are many proposals. I will talk to my councillors and let Deputy Gilmore talk to his. If they use some——

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: Is that the only issue? I think there are excellent proposals.

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: No, it is not. I said I thought we should consider some of the imaginative proposals other cities operate.

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: There is a range of them, such as park and ride facilities.

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: Park and ride facilities are allowed. I fought for such facilities 20 years ago. I fought for the one in Whitehall then and it is about the only one that works well.

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: There is a large number of questions there. On the provisions under the NDP, the cross-departmental team and officials in various Departments deal with these issues on an ongoing basis. All the issues raised by the Deputy are included in that. The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has estimated that the housing needs of 140,000 households are to be met through the...

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: Those figures were grossly overstated. Although I cannot be certain about the figure of 20,000, the number is nothing like the figures mentioned.

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: To deal with Deputy Ó Caoláin's question on housing, we have meetings that just deal with the housing issue. That happens a number of times a year. The same happens in education, where there are meetings dedicated to educational issues. They would not normally be at the other meetings. On the national broadband scheme, I am told it is 10% of the country. I am not arguing about whether...

Departmental Bodies. (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: Yes, but it is similar to the schools issue which Deputy Kenny raised earlier. The success of this is now in the hands of the private sector, whether we like it or not. We must deal with these private sector companies, with the investments and plans they have, and try to pull those plans together. The discussion document next month deals with that and aims to make real progress. That is...

Order of Business (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: It is proposed to take No.2, Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008, Second Stage (resumed), and No.3, Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill 2008, Order for Second Stage and Second Stage. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that the Dáil shall sit later than 8.30 p.m. tonight; business shall be interrupted on the conclusion of Private Members' business, which...

Order of Business (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: In those days, the Order of Business took ten minutes. Now it takes several hours.

Order of Business (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: The intoxicating liquor Bill is to provide for public order aspects of the sale and consumption of alcohol. It aims to deal with public order issues and what has happened recently ——

Order of Business (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: The sale of alcohol Bill is designed to codify the law relating to the sale and consumption of alcohol. A substantial amount of legislation has been introduced over the years and the Bill will codify it. That legislation will probably be introduced before the end of the year. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Brian Lenihan, is anxious to bring the intoxicating...

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: I acknowledge the meetings of the Joint Committee on Health and Children that have taken place yesterday and today. The committee has done its best to tease out the issues. I should point out that if any community pharmacists decide not to honour their contracts they must give three months notice. No pharmacy in the Republic, to the best of my knowledge, has provided such notice. Thus,...

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: ——and make recommendations to Government on the fees it considers appropriate. Many Members have asked how it would work, but its terms of reference and the timescale for its work are among the matters to be discussed. I can inform the House, because I know all Deputies are interested in this, that the Minister is anxious that the process to enable the development of new contractual...

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: It will happen as soon as possible.

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2008)

Bertie Ahern: A number of points have been made. In respect of the main point made by Deputy Kenny, the HSE had contracts with 1,600 pharmacists. If anybody wishes to break from this contract, he or she must give three months notice. That is the legal fixed position. In respect of interim arrangements, if nobody has declined the contract, that is the position. As Deputy Kenny stated, people should not...