Results 10,101-10,120 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Order of Business. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The Bill will be published this session.

Order of Business. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: It is hoped the Education for Persons with Disabilities Bill will pass through both Houses before the end of this session. A few remaining aspects of that Bill are the subject of discussions with the disabilities group. It is hoped to conclude the Bill when agreement has been reached on those matters.

Order of Business. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: It is the medical practitioners Bill. I do not have a date for that Bill.

Official Engagements. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The French position that we should have 20 Commissioners from the 25 member states comes from a report of the Convention on the Future of Europe. That report proposed that four fifths of the member states would have a Commissioner. I have been opposed to this proposal from the time it was mentioned in the Convention nearly two years ago. It is a dangerous argument. I am glad to see that what...

Official Engagements. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The Opposition would like if I no longer held this position.

Official Engagements. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I will deal with the Deputy's final question first. My honest assessment of the situation — we are speaking in this regard of ten years into the future — is that the larger countries would prefer the Convention-type proposal that there should be 30 Commissioners — it is inevitable we will reach that number in this decade. They would like to establish a small executive-type operation or...

Official Engagements. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: What Ministry will the Deputy be given?

Official Engagements. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: On the question about the Irish language, there have been continuing discussions with the relevant Commissioner and former leader of the British Labour Party——

Official Engagements. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I thank the Deputy. The Commissioner has been helpful to the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, in his efforts to move the issue forward. I will meet the Austrian Government this week and we will discuss that issue. On European security and defence, there is no change in the position of last autumn and the agreement still holds. Nobody is opening up that matter. It is anticipated that structured...

Official Engagements. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I refer to Deputy Ó Caoláin's question. He asked whether I was satisfied with the updating of the Petersberg Tasks provided for in the draft constitution and with the issues relating to qualified majority voting in security and defence. The answer is "yes" because the draft treaty now provides for an updating of the Petersberg Tasks to include areas such as conflict prevention, joint...

Official Engagements. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: Yes, I will insist that is not changed because the position now is totally satisfactory. It remains the case that Petersberg Tasks operations will be decided in unanimity by the Council so that one cannot be forced into a position in which one does not want to be. Participation by Ireland or other member states in Petersberg Tasks operations is a matter for sovereign national decision. We...

Official Engagements. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: Taxation, yes, and foreign policy, particularly in regard to common security and defence will be decided by unanimity. We cannot be forced into a position against our will under any of the areas. Deputy Rabbitte asked two questions. I totally agree with him and colleagues have raised the strengthening of social dimension issues. We will defend the position on social dimension so that there...

Leaders' Questions. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I dealt with a number of matters in this area in considerable detail last week and I do not want to go over them again. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform met with representatives of the Garda Representative Association for more than two hours last week and he also met with the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors. He has also indicated that he will write to Mrs....

Leaders' Questions. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The process of engagement between the two Governments is continuing. We want to make progress in the coming weeks. We want to clear away as many issues as possible before the summer. The current controversy has brought the issue of paramilitarism clearly into focus. There are other issues, but this is obviously a key question. The two Governments will continue to facilitate and actively...

Leaders' Questions. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The answer to all the questions is "yes". We had a substantial number of discussions from September 1997 right through 1998. At no stage was there an agreement that the murderers of Jerry McCabe would be included in the Good Friday Agreement. We are talking about something which happened six years ago. This is why these people are in prison for the past six years. Some of them are in prison...

Leaders' Questions. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The heads of the judicial conduct Bill are currently being drafted. The House will consider a motion in the context of Article 35.4 of the Constitution. Because of the nature of this process it is of fundamental importance that those Members who may be called to vote on a resolution for removal must keep an open mind on the issues that are brought before them. Each Member must make an...

Leaders' Questions. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy has asked a number of questions. Given the constitutional power of the Oireachtas, the Government will make available all information and advice given to us. Over the past three to four weeks the Attorney General has done a substantial amount of work on this and, obviously, as it moves into the area of the constitutional position of the House, we would make our information...

Leaders' Questions. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I am advised that is generally the case because it is a gathering of information. There is also a time factor in regard to the point the Deputy made about the delay, but the advice I have received is that it would be in camera. I believe that answers most of the Deputy's questions.

Leaders' Questions. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy has asked a number of questions. The Government is committed to the Kyoto targets that have been set down and which have worked. I answered questions from Deputy Sargent in the House recently on the national climate change strategy in which I outlined the measures that are included in that to ensure adequate reductions in greenhouse gases are in place to meet the obligations under...

Leaders' Questions. (18 May 2004)

Bertie Ahern: I was simply accepting the point the Deputy made about the price of oil. As he knows well, there is a premium on renewable energy. It is not just a question of being able to change our targets. It is a substantial premium and that makes it more difficult.