Results 6,341-6,360 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Constitutional Reform. (15 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: My loyal councillors.

Constitutional Reform. (15 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: With regard to reports generally, we have had in the past number of years referenda on Cabinet confidentiality, the Amsterdam Treaty, the British-Irish Agreement, the recognition of local government, the death penalty, the International Criminal Court, the Nice treaty, the protection of human life and pregnancy and citizenship issues. Some matters on the Judiciary were prepared but we did not...

Constitutional Reform. (15 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: There are at least two planning Bills, one published and one not, where a number of issues relating to property rights have been taken into account. Other issues have been addressed in other legislation. I accept the Deputy's point that we are told every year that there will be no more price increases. The affordable housing initiative does not require legislation and we have given the...

Constitutional Reform. (15 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I hope my amended proposal will still be in line with the report of the All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution which was endorsed by this House in May 2003, and will be consistent with the Good Friday Agreement. Deputy Ó Caoláin will accept that I must secure a consensus on the matter. I am trying to frame a proposal that sticks with those principles and I am not abandoning it,...

Constitutional Reform. (15 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The basis of the policies of this and previous Governments led by me has been to create housing for everybody by affordable, social and private means and to reach that position through policies and grants to local authorities, facilities for building societies and other mechanisms. It would be difficult to frame a constitutional right for that but we are putting resources worth billions of...

Constitutional Reform. (15 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: On a general point, all the reports prepared by the All-Party Committee on the Constitution go to the relevant Departments to be accounted for in referenda if necessary. We have had ten referenda in recent years, which is a high number. They consider it in terms of legislation and, in all legislation coming forward, take account of issues which have been addressed. They may not immediately...

Constitutional Reform. (15 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: On rights for children, while no specific referendum is planned for the coming year, we have seen in the past where issues arose that required constitutional change and which we included. A range of amendments could be included if we have a suitable occasion, although we cannot bring too many. The one on the rights of children has been sent to the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, in...

Constitutional Reform. (15 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I have argued the point that it should be possible to buy at existing land use value. Much land would then be held by local authorities and others——

Constitutional Reform. (15 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: As I stated earlier to Deputy Rabbitte, under the affordable housing initiative, we advertised last year for such lands. While we were operating under current legislation and believe that amended legislation will be needed, we have already advertised for this and have received a large number of submissions. I have not been dealing directly with it but Mr. Des Geraghty, the chairman of the...

Communications Unit. (15 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 to 12, inclusive, together. The total projected cost of the communications unit for 2006 is €346,605. The direct cost to my Department is €149,846, with an average of €39,352 being borne by the five other Departments who have staff seconded to the unit. The cost to date in 2006 is €28,884. The unit provides a media information service to Ministers...

Communications Unit. (15 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: No, an 18-hour shift.

Communications Unit. (15 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: That is not the position. The unit is entirely non-political and is staffed by established civil servants. The information is relayed to Ministers, Ministers of State and the entire range of civil servants and, like all information prepared by civil servants, is for the Civil Service system, not for the House. The information is gathered on the basis——

Communications Unit. (15 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: They used outside agencies and paid excessive amounts of money for the information. That is what happened and it was a very costly arrangement. In the past, one Department would contact an agency at 9 a.m. to order a tape of a "Morning Ireland" or other radio programme and another Department would contact the agency later to order the same tape. That is what happened and huge bills were...

Communications Unit. (15 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: There is no such——

Communications Unit. (15 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: There is no intelligence gatherer in the communications unit or anywhere else.

Communications Unit. (15 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: If gathering newspaper cuttings is gathering intelligence, there are many people who do that in press offices, but no more than that.

Communications Unit. (15 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: That individual is not in the communications unit and was removed from that position.

Communications Unit. (15 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: He is now doing a very good job on the units in this House.

Communications Unit. (15 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Exactly. Certainly, that was something that should not have happened. A normal procedural investigation took place and the person was moved, but he was not a member of the communications unit.

Order of Business. (15 Feb 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It is proposed to take No. 8, motion re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Official Languages Act 2003 (Public Bodies) Regulations 2006; No. 12, the Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005 [Seanad] — Order for Report and Report and Final Stages; and No. 13, the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities (Amendment) Bill 2005 — Order for Report and Report and Final...