Results 9,021-9,040 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Departmental Agencies. (25 Feb 2009)

Dermot Ahern: While Mr. Goodwin is entitled to his opinion, it is just one opinion.

Departmental Agencies. (25 Feb 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I implacably disagree with it, as does the chairperson, the acting chief executive officer and the other members of the board. The situation may be more difficult from a budgetary point of view, but the Deputy is misleading the House by suggesting that Mr. Crowley was sacked. He was not sacked, but chose to leave.

Departmental Agencies. (25 Feb 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The fact is that when the going gets tough, I would like to think that the tough get going and not walk off the pitch. Mr. Crowley made his decision, as did other members of the authority. I am not arrogant enough to think that people are indispensable, nor should the Deputy or anyone else.

Departmental Agencies. (25 Feb 2009)

Dermot Ahern: No matter who is CEO of the Equality Authority, the authority will continue to do its work and to meet its core functions. The board members are adamant that they will continue to do that. They have been given the resources. In response to the accusation that the authority will be hamstrung on advocacy issues, it will have more money this year for legal advice and case representation by...

Departmental Agencies. (25 Feb 2009)

Dermot Ahern: All of the legislation on equality issues has been passed when my party was on this side of the House.

Departmental Agencies. (25 Feb 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Deputy can talk the talk, but he could not walk the walk when his party was in Government.

Departmental Agencies. (25 Feb 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Deputy did not do anything about these issues when he was on this side of the House.

Departmental Agencies. (25 Feb 2009)

Dermot Ahern: What did I not know about?

Departmental Agencies. (25 Feb 2009)

Dermot Ahern: What legal case?

Departmental Agencies. (25 Feb 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I did not know about the Portmarnock case——

Asylum Support Services. (25 Feb 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The contracts engaged in by the Reception and Integration Agency of my Department for the provision of accommodation and meals for persons who apply for refugee status under the Geneva Convention of 1951 are kept under constant review by the agency, with a view to ensuring that the costs of accommodating such persons are kept to a minimum and to ensure maximum value for the taxpayer. On 21...

Asylum Support Services. (25 Feb 2009)

Dermot Ahern: We would all like the decisions to be made in an expeditious manner, but we are not the author of our own destiny when it comes to the ability of people to take judicial review applications to the High Court. Sometimes this happens after a decision is made by every agency involved in the process. In the interim, we must provide the accommodation as required. There are 96 nationalities...

Asylum Support Services. (25 Feb 2009)

Dermot Ahern: There is a series of reviews on a number of headings across my Department. This is one area where we want this review to start — it has started — in order to ensure that we are getting value for money. With regard to cost issues, we are not the authors of our own destiny. We must provide accommodation for those people who present to us, whether they do so at the start or at the end of a...

Anti-Social Behaviour. (25 Feb 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Part 11 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, which provides for civil proceedings for anti-social behaviour by adults, was commenced on 1 January 2007. Part 13 of the Act, relating to anti-social behaviour by children, was commenced on 1 March 2007. These provisions set out an incremental procedure for addressing anti-social behaviour by adults and children. This incremental procedure was...

Anti-Social Behaviour. (25 Feb 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I do not accept that. The ASBO legislation has been in situ for only two years and I have asked the Garda Commissioner to review its operation in response, to a certain extent, to remarks by the Opposition. It is unfair to say it has been a failure when one sees the numbers of the various procedures set up before one goes for a court order. There is a sequence in how it is set out in the...

Anti-Social Behaviour. (25 Feb 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte may bring anything to my attention. He brought another instance of anti-social behaviour to my attention in the House and asked me to have a look at the issue. Now that the Deputy is attacking me, I have to say this. I investigated it and raised it with the Garda only to find that the person, Deputy Rabbitte's constituent, was extremely annoyed that he had brought this to...

Anti-Social Behaviour. (25 Feb 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I will talk to the Deputy about it later.

Anti-Social Behaviour. (25 Feb 2009)

Dermot Ahern: If Deputy Rabbitte does not recall the case, I will bring it to his attention afterwards.

Anti-Social Behaviour. (25 Feb 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I will bring the file to the Deputy later outside the House.

Anti-Social Behaviour. (25 Feb 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I disagree on the ASBO legislation——