Results 8,501-8,520 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Air Services. (31 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The full Cabinet will make the decision.

Air Services. (31 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: There are no arrangements for it to meet again and all issues related to this matter are now being dealt with by the full Cabinet.

National Economic and Social Council. (31 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 to 13, inclusive, together. The National Economic and Social Council has completed its study entitled A Developmental Welfare State, which was published on 19 May. The council completed its report, Housing in Ireland: Performance and Policy, in December 2004 and will complete a report on the Lisbon Agenda in the coming months, focusing on the open method of...

National Economic and Social Council. (31 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The council will complete the report on the Lisbon strategy and the open method of co-ordination over the next number of months. It is undertaking its three-yearly strategic overview of the Irish economy and social policy, which is a large report and is used as the basis for negotiations on the three-year programmes. I do not have dates for the other reports. The council is working on...

National Economic and Social Council. (31 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The process is that when it is passed by the NESC it is cleared by the Government. In the case of most reports there would be a discussion at that stage by Government. They would then go to the relevant Department or Departments. Taxation reports would go to the Department of Finance and education reports to the Department of Education and Science. The reports on the broad economy and social...

National Economic and Social Council. (31 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I do not agree it is unequal. There are countries in Europe that are high contributors to the social welfare system. If we look at the charts and compare what we pay and what we fund, we would be termed a high contributor but not high in terms of the taxation level. It is correct that means tests apply to many issues. I cannot comment on the detail of the other point, although I attended the...

Order of Business. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I understand the implementation of this provision is not a simple matter. There has been a deep examination of how this might best be done and a consideration of whether its implementation would stand up and be beneficial.

Order of Business. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: There may be difficulties in proving the source from which alcohol has been purchased. I understand there has been quite a considered debate about whether——

Order of Business. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The matter is under consideration. The reason it has not come through the process is that there has been much examination of whether it will work in practice. I understand this is the cause of the delay.

Order of Business. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The family law Bill will be published in 2006 and the Bill to consolidate social welfare legislation is due in the autumn. The heads of that Bill have already been approved.

Order of Business. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The coroners Bill will provide for the reform of the coroners service and replace the Coroners Act 1962. The heads of the Bill will be drafted during the summer and the legislation is expected to be ready for publication next year. I will ask the Government Whip about rescheduling the debate on suicide.

Leaders' Questions. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Section 55 requires the person responsible to clean up the site. On the Deputy's point about it being pre-2002, section 60 makes specific directions that it is covered, regardless of the time period. If section 55, which gives directions, does not cover it, section 60, which covers all sites, applies.

Leaders' Questions. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: That is the view of the Minister and the company mentioned earlier denies that it is responsible for the dumping.

Leaders' Questions. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: That is a matter for the monitoring process which follows. Section 55 requires the guilty party to clean the site fully and if it is an old site section 60 covers it. The Minister can and has made specific directions.

Programmes for Government. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together. Progress on the implementation of the programme for Government is kept under constant review. For every full year that Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats have been in Government, we have published an annual progress report. The second annual progress report of this Administration was published on 1 August 2004. Work is...

Programmes for Government. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I have reported on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government across several areas. Which questions may I answer? I do not wish to break the ruling of the Chair.

Programmes for Government. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: That is not a problem. I just do not wish to break the rulings of the Chair. Our report details every area of our commitments in the programme for Government — health, education and the broad areas of the economy. We have covered many of them. They are not all finished but as in the last programme, we intend to get near to completion by the end of the programme's five year term. I can go...

Programmes for Government. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I am trying to pick up the Deputy's individual questions. He focused on only one area but I can stray outside that area to say we have honoured, and continue to honour, our commitments on infrastructure through the national development plan, and the EU and Northern Ireland on which we regularly answer questions.

Programmes for Government. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I was trying to stay within the rules.

Programmes for Government. (25 May 2005)

Bertie Ahern: We have not and we are not going to reach 0.7% of GNP by 2007 as I certainly would have liked.