Results 6,121-6,140 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Order of Business. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: As I stated, that judgment is being considered in the Department. Based on its own legal opinion, it will decide how to proceed.

Order of Business. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I would like to answer. I gave an undertaking to Deputy Rabbitte two weeks ago that I would meet the families. I cleared my diary to do that last week. I also got the Minister to attend. However, shortly beforehand, I was told the families did not want to meet me but that their legal representative would contact me. I contacted that person, who said...

Leaders' Questions. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Judge Harding Clark's report is enormously helpful in every way. It is the case that the women were not advised. As I said earlier, in fairness when these cases were brought to light, the health board followed up on them. It followed up on the information given to it by the midwife and when the three obstetric consultants examined the case. It did not accept that and engaged a consultant from...

Leaders' Questions. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy said he has looked at the report. He will have noted the conclusion of Judge Harding Clark that the hospital had made major improvements and she felt it was a remote chance that such issues could recur. However, she highlighted other areas that needed to be put right. The Tánaiste will start addressing those issues in today's discussions with the board. Professor Drumm has already...

Leaders' Questions. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Professor Drumm is responsible for examining these things. The other issues raised will be discussed by the Tánaiste with the board. As I said earlier, the regulatory issues arising from this for the Medical Council, the College of Obstetrics and anybody else must be followed through.

Legislative Programme. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together. My Department has one item of legislation for the current Dáil session. The National Economic and Social Development Office Bill 2002, has completed all stages in the Dáil and is awaiting Second Stage in the Seanad. My Department also has one Bill included on the C list of the Government's legislative programme. This is the...

Legislative Programme. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Agreed.

Legislative Programme. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The Department of the Taoiseach traditionally does not have much legislation. However, it is involved across Departments in a great deal of legislation. Despite legislation not being under the name of the Department, we are involved in a significant range of Bills at any time, probably more than any Department, and mainly through Cabinet committees and our position there. That includes what...

Legislative Programme. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: That issue continues to develop in Europe. I think I said six weeks ago that I did not see any possibility of that and I do not really see that changing. Belgium finished its ratification process just two weeks ago. I understand that Estonia, which had originally decided not to proceed with ratification, is now going to do so as well. Others have been urged to do it too. The German...

Legislative Programme. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Whatever happens with the electoral register, and for as long as I have been around as a politician there have been problems with it, work is ongoing at present. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, is examining proposals, some of which are short-term, concerning the electoral register for the coming winter, which begins around November and is...

Legislative Programme. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: What happens whenever there is a difficulty or even no difficulty is that the Secretary of Government co-ordinates with the heads of the Garda, the Army and other groups on the detail and they can deal with the broad policy positions. That system does work. The office of emergency planning rests with the Minister for Defence. In the event of any difficulty the contingency arrangements are...

Legislative Programme. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: On the statute law Bill we have already published some of the pre-information and will publish more but not the heads of the Bill. The entire legislation on the white lists will all be published shortly. I think they are nearly ready. They have had to go through 2,600 Acts which was a huge task and have now circulated it to all Departments for comments. It is hoped to have it ready——

Legislative Programme. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I will not sort property rights today.

Legislative Programme. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: While there is no legislation pending I am aware of the point and the arguments raised by the Deputy, which he has raised previously. It is an important point. It is also a difficult issue. The Deputy made the point that it covers many areas and how it can feed into legislation, which I introduced, on part-time and atypical workers. I have raised this issue with my own section previously. It...

Active Citizenship. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 to 10, inclusive, together. I announced my intention last April to establish a task force on active citizenship. We have received hundreds of expressions of interest in the task force and its work, and a large number of requests to be appointed members. These came from a variety of people from different parts of society — the voluntary sector, business,...

Active Citizenship. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I am glad the Deputy, in his second last sentence, acknowledged that people get involved in active citizenship. As usual, I disagree fundamentally with him but he is correct that there are now hundreds of thousands of people working in our society because of Government policies. These people are not in the Bronx, Australia or London but in their own country. They are working and commuting...

Active Citizenship. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: We will always have pressures. People had pressures 100 years ago and they will have them in 100 years time. I never worry too much about pressure because if you do, you will be pressurised.

Active Citizenship. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I would not want the Deputy to worry about pressure because you only get worse when you concern yourself with these things.

Active Citizenship. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: One should try to find solutions, think positively, think of the glass as being half full, and move forward.

Active Citizenship. (1 Mar 2006)

Bertie Ahern: One gets irritable and cranky, cannot think of anything positive and dies prematurely when one gets oneself into that position, so the Deputy should not be agitating himself like that.