Results 841-860 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Order of Business (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I accept the acknowledgement by Members of the suitability of the candidate. They have made their point with regard to consultation and they have accepted the bona fides of the Tánaiste in talking to the Opposition about what happened. Mr. Liam Kavanagh, who is a former Member of the House and Minister, was appointed six or seven years ago and did a very good job in this regard. We are...

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Under the heading, "Improved Funding for our Schools", the education section of the programme for Government contains the following commitment: "We will ... examine the provision of waste and water allowances to school, with charges becoming effective after these agreed allowances are exceeded." The Minister has explained repeatedly that because of the framework water directive, the...

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I can only come to the logic that if there is not something——

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I will never be able to answer Deputy Kenny if Members of the Opposition continue to interrupt.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I know that Fine Gael Members are very upset that this measure was included in the programme for Government.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I suppose that if this is the logic, implementing something that is not in the programme for Government constitutes total consistency.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I wish to answer Deputy Kenny, if he wants an answer.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Given the need to manage the transition to a new system appropriately——

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——and to enable conservation measures to be implemented to deal with these issues and particularly to conserve our water, with which everyone in the House yesterday was in agreement, the Government is considering the length of a transition period. The length of that period has not yet been decided. While it can be up to the end of 2009, the Government must decide on its length. As I...

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: As the Deputy is aware, they will not be there over the Christmas holidays, unless things changed this year.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The statement will be released before their return.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Moreover, the Cabinet will meet on 4 January, before the schools return, and will deal with these issues. Yesterday and the day before I looked into the number of schools that have received large bills and not many have received such bills.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Not many. In the case of a number of schools that had received such bills during the year, they had been negotiated downwards with the local authorities. Others that received quite large bills were the result of arrears. I detect that Members are not really interested in the details. However, we will work it out.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: We will work it out and implement our programme for Government in a highly satisfactory manner.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I was hoping Deputy Kenny would mention a hugely successful budget, a good legislative programme and a considerably higher employment rate.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I hoped he would mention the continued development of our health service and education system and congratulate the Government on implementing its programme for Government.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: We are fully committed to the implementation of the water framework directive, as I stated yesterday. It is appropriate and necessary for conserving water as a national resource and it was agreed with the European Union in 2003. In a number of areas, there is a phase-in period and an implementation period. If the measure were just implemented on a usage basis in all schools, they would...

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I am just answering Deputy Kenny's questions. We are endeavouring to ascertain, with the local authorities, the basis on which we can operate. Let me give an example. On the basis of information supplied by the authorities — they did not all supply it — the combined charge for water and waste water services across local authorities varied from 0.99 cent/cu.m. to 2.62 cent/cu.m. and the...

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is domestic. Parents of pupils in Ireland are not paying this. That is the key issue.

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Kenny should note that a list of issues has been made available several months ago.