Results 8,221-8,240 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Leaders' Questions. (28 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Statutory officers of the State have stated they were not proceeding until they got the full report. Neither did they——

Leaders' Questions. (28 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: ——and when they did, this Government acted. Those are the facts.

Leaders' Questions. (28 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I should not have to, but I will, remind Deputy Sargent that the Attorney General does not prosecute criminal cases. Since 1975 it is the Director of Public Prosecutions. That change was made 30 years ago, so the basis of his argument is incorrect. This is the second time in this debate today that Members have stated what the Minister, Deputy O'Donoghue, did at the time. They know that, on...

Leaders' Questions. (28 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: It is on the record of the House to be read.

Leaders' Questions. (28 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The Minister said that he had not seen the Garda file.

Leaders' Questions. (28 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Attorney General and the Director of Public Prosecutions of the time all stated that they could not proceed until they saw the full Carty report.

Leaders' Questions. (28 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I have just given the references.

Leaders' Questions. (28 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I have just given the references but I will give them again. In light of the growing controversy in June 2001, the then Minister, Deputy O'Donoghue, sought a preliminary opinion, in writing, from the Attorney General about the options open to him to have the matter inquired into. The Attorney General replied in June 2001. The reply cited the full Carty report. That is one reference. In...

Leaders' Questions. (28 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I do not why the Deputy is justifying himself. He seems worried. I am just giving facts; I am not blaming the Deputy.

Leaders' Questions. (28 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: We have had approximately 20 interruptions. I am just giving facts and the Deputy is trying to twist them.

Leaders' Questions. (28 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: In November 2001, the edited version was a bulky document but the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions remarked that it would be difficult for persons reading themselves into the case to make sense of the issues without sight of the full report and the papers. That was the second reference. What I have outlined is, therefore, the factual position.

Leaders' Questions. (28 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Lastly, in February 2002, when the Government approved in principle the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) (Amendment) Bill 2002, it did so when it received the full Carty report. Those are the facts and I cannot change them. I cannot give Deputy Sargent anything other than the facts.

Leaders' Questions. (28 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: There is no question of anyone apologising when the law officers of the State made clear determinations at the time, all of which are on the record. The fact that Opposition Deputies are trying to paint a delay——

Leaders' Questions. (28 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The delay was due to the reasons I gave. As I said, it was this Government——

Leaders' Questions. (28 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: If that is the Deputy's attitude, then the DPP, the Attorney General, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and everybody else is spurious. I do not agree with him.

Leaders' Questions. (28 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I reiterate that it was the Government, not the Opposition, which identified the solution that is working successfully.

Leaders' Questions. (28 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: While I recognise that Opposition Deputies feel guilty about all of that now, that is a matter for them.

Order of Business. (28 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The Order of Business today shall be as follows: No. 13, Social Welfare Consolidation Bill 2005 — First Stage; No. 14, motion re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of a report by the Minister for Defence pursuant to section 4 of the Defence (Amendment) Act 1993, back from committee; No. 27, Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005 — Report and Final Stages (resumed); No. 1, Disability Bill 2004...

Cabinet Committees. (28 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1, 2 and 3 together. The Cabinet committee on social inclusion last met on 27 April 2005. The next meeting of the committee is scheduled for tomorrow, 29 June.

Cabinet Committees. (28 Jun 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The answer to the question is yes, the committee is addressing that issue.