Results 7,281-7,300 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Departmental Bodies. (15 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I have spelled out the terms of reference, which are broad and will allow people put forward what they believe are the various dimensions of Irish life regarding influences, both positive and negative, and the levels of participation and engagement. Having seen many of the submissions, both written and e-mail, on this, there is an enormous interest on the part of all kinds of groups, bodies...

Departmental Bodies. (15 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: On initiatives like that it is not a bad idea within local authority areas, but it is not so good in constitutional or legislative areas.

Departmental Bodies. (15 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I know which way I would vote. I do not want my footpath removed. That is the practice in Switzerland. The only example of it being used here is the plebiscites the councils use in areas but it is a small number of cases. It could resolve many arguments but I know local authorities are not in favour of it because it has been mooted previously.

Departmental Bodies. (15 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I do not want to get into the issue of indemnity. One of the regular complaints from active members of the community relates to the restrictions on their activities because of the cost of insurance. One of last year's reports on the insurance industry included entire sections on the issue of indemnity for persons active in civil society, particularly those involved in scouting and sports....

Leaders' Questions. (15 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I will do as Deputy Kenny asked and will not give a long description of the benefits of all these contracts which are necessary in the system. I understand some of the contracts were signed following consultation and some were signed after very long consultations with the companies and having regard to tendering arrangements with the companies. Some of the contracts that were signed were...

Leaders' Questions. (15 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: When Professor Drumm and his colleagues report on the details of all the individual contracts, I will provide the information based on that report. A number of these matters and a number of contracts are under examination by the Departments of Finance and Health and Children, the HSE and Professor Drumm. While they are being examined there is no point in my pre-empting those discussions....

Leaders' Questions. (15 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: In some cases it was not appropriate to operate because patients were not well enough. My point is that this does not automatically mean there was a delay. It is a regular occurrence.

Leaders' Questions. (15 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: If the Deputy knew anything about hospitals, he would understand. The figure refers to less than 2% of the total of 527,000 patients treated in acute hospitals in the first six months of the year. Operations can be postponed due to emergency cases being prioritised over elective cases, for reasons of infection control or availability of medical and nursing support and, in some cases, when...

Leaders' Questions. (15 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Regrettably, there were two gangland murders at the weekend, bringing to 17 or 18 the figure for gangland murders this year. The Minister had briefings yesterday and today with senior Garda officers, including the Garda Commissioner and deputy commissioner, on the double murder on Sunday night in south-west Dublin, to which Deputy Rabbitte referred. He briefed me and my Cabinet colleagues...

Leaders' Questions. (15 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I have said previously that any crime is too much. There is no level of crime with which one can be happy.

Leaders' Questions. (15 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The Garda budget is more than €1 billion.

Leaders' Questions. (15 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: We have dramatically increased resources for the Garda, including technology, which is high for a population——

Leaders' Questions. (15 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: ——of our size. Resources are being increased and invested in the Garda. Next year, there will be 14,000 gardaí and large numbers of specialist groups have been set up.

Leaders' Questions. (15 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The crime rate per thousand of the population has fallen from what it was nine years ago.

Leaders' Questions. (15 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The crime rate has fallen.

Leaders' Questions. (15 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: A number of points were made by Deputy Rabbitte. He said that the prosecutions do not always produce results in court. That is a matter for the courts based on the evidence provided. However, we should give credit where it is due. Yesterday, we saw the conclusion to a serious murder case in Limerick which occurred some time ago when a night security worker was executed by a hit man on behalf...

Leaders' Questions. (15 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: As I have said previously, the orderly conduct of industrial relations depends on respect for the basic norms of the institutions of the State, the Labour Court in this instance. The recommendations of the Labour Court are not generally binding, as all employers and trade unions know, but they should be respected as the proper resolution of disputes. This is especially the case with the Irish...

Leaders' Questions. (15 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I said I was advised there was little prospect of regulating conditions of employment for staff on vessels which are not under the Irish flag. That is not just a European issue, but an international one. Many of these flags of convenience are used outside Europe as well. That is why it could not be regulated when the issue was looked at previously on a number of occasions.

Leaders' Questions. (15 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I already confirmed that the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources has declined an application by the company to remove its vessels from the Irish register and to transfer them to the Cypriot register. The Deputy asked me what I am recommending. That is the job of the Labour Court. I am not an independent arbitrator in this case. I support the court and its recommendations.

Leaders' Questions. (15 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I support the recommendations and that is what should be implemented. We have conveyed that to the company. Having listened to all sides, the Labour Court set out what I believe is a fair and comprehensive decision on this, and that is what should be followed.