Results 7,101-7,120 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

European Council Meetings. (23 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: On the education issue, I do not mean more is not to be done. I stated that European universities get bad coverage because they are not listed among the top universities. There is a need for more resources and more people. World leaders of all faculties come from European universities and have done incredibly well in building up the business. That is the only point. As more of our young...

European Council Meetings. (23 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: They are, and other countries are re-examining it because they believe it is cost-efficient, competitive, safer, cleaner, and involves new technologies. All of the arguments——

European Council Meetings. (23 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I am not. I do not agree with it, I am only explaining that it is out there. I am surprised at how the British Government is moving on it, but that is——

European Council Meetings. (23 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: That is the way it is going. I am describing the trend. Battle groups were not discussed but Europe's readiness to deal with humanitarian matters under the Petersberg tasks remains a major issue. Kofi Annan made it clear that the only way to deal with conflicts is to have groups that can take action on a regional basis. He is pressing hard that people engage in this and commit to it. We are...

European Council Meetings. (23 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: They are necessary to deal with the issues. We must reach a conclusion on it.

European Council Meetings. (23 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: On the first question, until leadership issues are resolved in Germany and Poland, which is a large and significant country, not too much business will be done. The British Government had to deal with that ongoing situation throughout its Presidency. The French, for numerous reasons, are not focusing on any major issue at present. Those reasons include their own difficulties, the aftermath of...

European Council Meetings. (23 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: We did not discuss those issues at the meeting, which was on international trade and business.

European Council Meetings. (23 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I raised the issue of Irish Ferries and we have examined what can be done on a European and international basis. The EU has not agreed regulations on this, mainly because many international ferries coming in from large ports of the world are importing into Europe and exporting, but are not bound by conditions there. It is not seen as practical to control them. This is not inter-Europe trade...

European Council Meetings. (23 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: This has been examined and I do not see the European Union introducing, certainly in the short term, a regime to control this. I do not see it as something that will prove practical. It has been examined many times but I do not think it will resolve itself.

European Council Meetings. (23 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy is a few months behind because we joined with others in making sure the services directive did not go through in the form that he fears. We stopped the process from going ahead in early summer. The proposed services directive, which was withdrawn then, is under consideration in the European Parliament, where hundreds of amendments have been tabled. We are awaiting the Parliament's...

European Council Meetings. (23 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: With regard to Deputy Kenny's question on renewable energy, 13% of our energy is currently generated from renewable resources. We have progressed and pushed the wind energy agenda and we will reach our targets. The Government is very supportive of wind energy and there are many initiatives——

European Council Meetings. (23 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: If we can get co-operation on the issue, we will progress further. I do not know if there has been any initiative with regard to paedophilia. I will check, but Deputy Kenny is correct in so far as it is a problem everywhere because the individuals concerned move around. I will raise that matter at the meeting. In response to Deputy Sherlock, compensation is an issue. However, we have argued...

Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy. (23 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: On behalf of Fianna Fáil and on my own behalf I extend deepest sympathies to the family and friends of our late colleague, Liam Lawlor, on the sad occasion of his tragic death on 22 October. During recent weeks our thoughts have also been with Liam's wife, Hazel, his daughter, Ciara, and sons, Niall, Gerald and Shane. In that time Liam's family have borne their private grief with enormous...

Leaders' Questions. (23 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I acknowledge that unfortunately the number of road deaths in 2004 increased to 370 compared with 335 in 2003 when the lowest number of road deaths in 40 years was recorded. The number of fatalities resulting from road collision this year is a major cause for concern. So far this year there has been an increase in the number of road deaths to 353 as of 21 November compared with 331 for the...

Leaders' Questions. (23 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: We have established a dedicated traffic corps, headed by an assistant commissioner, and invested in a huge roads programme. The Driver Testing and Standards Authority Bill will lead to a fully resourced body for driver testing and training. The adoption of changes in the circumstances of random breath testing, where the driver of a vehicle can be made the subject of preliminary roadside...

Leaders' Questions. (23 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Based on the figures I provided, this issue is a major problem. I do not want to say anything that takes away from that. I and all my Cabinet colleagues have spent an extraordinary amount of time recently trying to resolve some of the issues, for example, the PULSE system and the extension of the penalty points system to more areas. The traffic corps is a dedicated group. The Minister has...

Leaders' Questions. (23 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The legislation being discussed in Westminster today arises from a commitment given as part of the Weston Park talks in the summer of 2001. The reason the commitment was given then was that there was an anomaly, arising from the 1998 decision on the Good Friday Agreement to allow prisoners who had committed offences before that date to be released. The anomaly was that people who were not...

Leaders' Questions. (23 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte has made a number of points. There are a number of extensions to the Hain Bill. I am not sure of the point being made by the Deputy in that regard. He is probably referring to the extension of the legislation to cover the British army. Such extensions, which have been included in the British legislation, were not discussed with the Government. They are of concern to...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (22 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The fees referred to in the reply to Question No. 177 of 2 November 2005 are the only costs paid to counsel to date by the Office of the Chief State Solicitor. As regards administrative costs, the relevant cases were assigned to legal staff in the Chief State Solicitor's office as part of their overall caseload and, accordingly, it is not possible to determine the precise costs in individual...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (22 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 201 and 202 together. None of the Ministers of State in my Department has a press office or press officer working for him or staff engaged in public relations on his behalf. Communications with the media are managed through the Government press secretariat and Government Information Service. One staff officer is employed in the Government Chief Whip's...