Results 6,661-6,680 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Under EU regulations migrants from EU member states working in Ireland whose dependent children are resident in their own country are entitled to claim child benefit here for children, either in full or as a top-up, if there is an equivalent payment but at a lower rate in their country of origin. That has been the position since 1971. This arrangement has been there for 36 years. Obviously,...

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: One does not have discretion in reciprocal arrangements but, in some cases, people administer their systems differently. As I said earlier, it is always good for us to know how people administer systems. Reciprocal arrangements are applied across Europe and regulation 1408/71 has been around for all those years. With regard to the figure, the Department of Social and Family Affairs states...

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: ——I would re-think it. I will explain why. I went through these arrangements and discussions at great length last year and sat in on all the meetings. The Deputy's vouched arrangement would automatically exclude women in the home and that is not very bright.

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Kenny should have another look at that. I do not consider the Deputy or his party racist.

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I did not hear the comment and I do not want to get into it.

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: However, I would not like anyone to try to turn a €350 million budget and say this could cost us a little more and that we should highlight that.

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I have given the figure. We cannot have it both ways.

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Let us stop this. We cannot have a position where Irish people who go abroad have reciprocal benefits, left, right and centre, but when somebody from another member state comes in here, we close them off.

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: Let us not try to back two horses in a one-horse race. Let us stop that.

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: No decision has been made about any new toll road locations on the M50.

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: There has been no change since yesterday or from last week. There is no such arrangement. The National Roads Authority has made a number of arrangements, one of which is to terminate the discussions with National Toll Roads relating to the upgrading of the West Link toll facility. It was considered that a satisfactory commercial and strategic solution that met the objectives of the NRA for...

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: ——no decision made on those issues and no scheme has been presented. Yesterday saw the beginning of the upgrade of the M50, which is a phased project involving about €1 billion. The first phase will cost approximately €250 million. By the commencement of the second phase, we would like to see the toll plaza replaced by electronic tolling. In fact, we would like to see that done more...

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: No, it will come up for discussion in October when the traffic flow——

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: This October.

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: We will have to wait to see the alternatives when the traffic flow plan is completed, which was part of the original Bord Pleanála decision. One of the conditions was that the NRA would have to produce a traffic plan and present it to the Department and the Minister. The Government would then have to make a decision but we cannot do so until we see the comprehensive traffic plan, which is...

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: In the remaining minute, I will try to answer some of the issues. Deputy Rabbitte asked if decisions were made and if I sanctioned them. Decisions were not made except on the issues I raised. Deputy Rabbitte asked if a decision was made to put multi-tolling on numerous points on the M50 and the answer is no.

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: It was not announced. On completion of the NRA's toll demand management study, which it must complete under the arrangement and which is expected in October or November, the NRA will submit specific proposals for the future tolling of the M50 to the Minister. It is not envisaged that we will eliminate tolling on the M50. There will be proper public consultation and involvement.

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: While the NRA may implement tolling schemes on a statutory basis, the agency fully accepts that to make policy decisions of this significant type, when it has completed the demand-led study, it must come back and decisions will then be made. It has stated that it has terminated discussions in which it has tried for a long period to get an agreement with NTR. It has failed to do that because...

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: I am well aware of the problems of the M50 and the history of it. As Deputy Joe Higgins knows, when we used to follow other economic policies, we did not have to worry about the traffic on the M50 because of the policies he supported at that time.

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Bertie Ahern: The concern at the time was that we would not get sufficient flows of traffic to justify the road. There is an agreement in place. It is simple for Deputy Higgins to suggest scrapping it but there is an agreement until 2020. Satisfactory arrangements between the NRA and NTR cannot be reached. For that reason the NRA says it will take control of the situation but it must honour the agreement...