Results 9,181-9,200 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Order of Business. (9 Mar 2005)

Bertie Ahern: On tomorrow's debate, as I said earlier, I thought we would have statements, but I am open to change that if Deputy Rabbitte believes it would be helpful if the former Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, answered questions and clarified the issues. I would be happy to arrange with the Government Whip to allocate part of the time available to do that.

Order of Business. (9 Mar 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Kenny inquired about the issue involving Deputy Callely. In the discussions on the report Deputy Callely stated that the issue was mentioned to him and he noted on the side of the minute that he would raise it with me. He stated that during a vote on that day or some days after he mentioned to me that the issue of eligibility and entitlement was raised at the meeting and that the...

Order of Business. (9 Mar 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I met members of the McCartney family yesterday. Other Members of the House have also met them. I am aware that Deputy Kenny went to Belfast to meet them. I am sure Deputy Rabbitte and others have had similar meetings. We must get one thing straight once and for all. I say calmly that murder is murder, no matter who commits it. A crime is a crime, no matter who commits it. Everyone is equal...

Order of Business. (9 Mar 2005)

Bertie Ahern: That is what the Government wants. It is what everybody in this House wants. It is what the Irish people want. They want no more and no less. It is not complicated. We have been saying this endlessly for several weeks now. I am not interested in hearing whether this represents some positive move by the IRA. Neither do I want to take issue by saying it is not. I am not interested in hearing...

Leaders' Questions. (9 Mar 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I acknowledge the difficulties faced by the family. I know it has an extraordinarily complex family situation with which to deal. I am aware of the case. It was discussed by my colleagues yesterday at the Cabinet meeting and I have been briefed on the issues. The Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, in conjunction with the Health Service Executive, has been fully aware of and...

Leaders' Questions. (9 Mar 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I cannot give Deputy Ó Caoláin the exact date of completion. The original date was to be in the autumn of 2006 and those concerned are working towards that. The Deputy is obviously familiar with the Middletown Centre for Autism. There are a number of key facilities to be provided in the centre. There is to be a residential learning support service, which means the whole issue must be dealt...

Departmental Expenditure. (9 Mar 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together. The total expenditure of my Department in 2004 was €29,172,288, compared with a total Estimate provision of €37.5 million.

Departmental Expenditure. (9 Mar 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I answered questions on this matter last week. First, on the financial issue, expenditure of the tribunal in 2004 amounted to €3.6 million. I gave the full figures last week. In 2004 this subhead included a provision to meet the payment of legal costs arising from the award of costs to parties appearing before the tribunal, should its work be completed during the year. As the tribunal was...

Departmental Expenditure. (9 Mar 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The task force on citizenship was one of the issues with which my Department dealt by co-ordinating the activity of various groups on the issues of citizenship. This fed into the social partnership model and into a wider model where detailed work was undertaken. I do not have a detailed briefing note on this but work has been ongoing in the Department with a broad spectrum of bodies and...

Departmental Expenditure. (9 Mar 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I will get that.

Departmental Expenditure. (9 Mar 2005)

Bertie Ahern: It would take me a while to do the mathematics.

Departmental Expenditure. (9 Mar 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I answered a written question on that recently. I do not think Mr. Flynn received any remuneration from my Department. He was chairman of the Government's decentralisation committee but that is not considered as consultancy work. The expenditure on consultancy was €153,122 which was mainly on the employee opinion survey and professional services for a report on comparative international...

Departmental Expenditure. (9 Mar 2005)

Bertie Ahern: A total of €1.032 million was provided for the National Economic and Social Development Office under subhead M of the Department's Vote. This office comprises the National Economic and Social Council and the National Economic and Social Forum to which the Deputy has referred. The primary role of these bodies is to facilitate and promote complementary programmes of research, analysis and...

Strategic Management Initiative. (9 Mar 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 6 together. The strategic management initiative was launched more than ten years ago with the objective of improving the quality and efficiency of service to the Government and the public. While it has evolved over time, the main focus has been on the areas of strategic management, customer service, financial management, human resource management,...

Strategic Management Initiative. (9 Mar 2005)

Bertie Ahern: On the first issue, the Public Service Management Act is in place. Obviously it is up to Minister's direct staff and wider staff to keep abreast of issues that are discussed, and normally that happens in an effective manner. On the improvements that have taken place in the Department since the introduction of the modernisation programme, I have answered this question on a number of occasions....

Strategic Management Initiative. (9 Mar 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Exactly.

Strategic Management Initiative. (9 Mar 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I was answering a question asking if the initiative has made major improvements in the modernisation of the public service, staff flexibility and output of Departments. That is not to take away from the fact that some Departments work under enormous pressures on day-to-day issues. In fairness, one of the issues Deputy Rabbitte mentioned, the Travers report, which I read in detail last night,...

Strategic Management Initiative. (9 Mar 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Perhaps I can make a brief reply on the specific question and then I shall answer the more general question. I had no discussion with the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Tim O'Malley. However, the then Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Callely, said in the correspondence on that occasion that two issues arose, one being the...

Strategic Management Initiative. (9 Mar 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The then Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Callely, was asked if he followed-on and if he raised it with the Minister. I will let the Minister answer that. In relation to me, he said that there was a major issue related to the distinction between eligibility and entitlement and that his Department was going to seek definitive legal advice. As the Deputy is...

Strategic Management Initiative. (9 Mar 2005)

Bertie Ahern: As people will see when they read the report, from 1976 to the time Deputy Kenny raised this issue — I acknowledge this because I was involved in the discussions in the autumn — even though this matter was raised on so many occasions over 28 years, there was never a memorandum on the issues. This is extraordinary but it is a fact, and I am not blaming or dumping on anyone. I think the...