Results 10,321-10,340 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

State Agencies. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Deputy does not get many from me.

State Agencies. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I reject the assertion that I have given anything other than frank responses. I have also outlined suggestions as to where the Equality Authority can make savings. There will not be a parallel organisation in Roscrea when decentralisation is completed.

State Agencies. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The staff are being decentralised to Roscrea. It was not that they alone were identified.

State Agencies. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The decision was made at budget time by the Government that decentralisation could continue where Departments had rented property in locations and had staff resident in them. That is what happened in regard to the Equality Authority and Roscrea. I have asked my officials to tell all the organisations that I do not want a fanfare. It was the case that organisations attached to my Department...

State Agencies. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: We are listening to exhortations of people like the Deputies who criticised us for having all these quangos.

State Agencies. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: When we make an effort to rationalise and make savings, the Deputies criticise us.

State Agencies. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Labour Party kept quiet about what it would cut. Deputy Rabbitte sat on the fence. At least Fine Gael came out with its proposed cuts.

State Agencies. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: One member of Fine Gael came up with the cuts while the other members decided they would ask for everything. They want it both ways.

State Agencies. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: Fine Gael does not give recognition to the fact that the Equality Tribunal is the one body that affects real people.

State Agencies. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I have not.

State Agencies. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I only sanctioned this in the full knowledge that I was concentrating on crime.

Crime Levels. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The law rightly makes specific provision to reflect society's repugnance for attacks on members of the emergency services. The Criminal Justice Act 2006 strengthened the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 to make it an offence to assault or to threaten to assault or to impede medical personnel in a hospital, people assisting such personnel or a peace officer acting in the course of...

Crime Levels. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I do not accept Operation Tombola has not been a success. Anecdotal evidence points to a dramatic decrease in the number of fireworks let off. My own area was as bad as anywhere else over the years because it was close to the Border and anecdotal evidence suggests a significant effort was made by the Garda to prevent fireworks crossing the Border. The figures speak for themselves. A total...

Crime Levels. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: It does. The Criminal Justice Act 2006 included accident and emergency, fire officers and ambulance personnel. We did that already, two years ago.

Prison Accommodation. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The record clearly shows steadily increased levels of resources being provided to each branch of the criminal justice system since 1997. We have increased Garda resources to an all time high, provided more judges than ever before in the history of the State and enacted a significant body of criminal legislation to give the Garda the necessary powers to bring serious criminals to justice,...

Prison Accommodation. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I do not accept that. When Deputy Flanagan's party was in Government, there was a 20% revolving door system. The latest figures available to me on this situation is well below that. It is in single figures, to the best of my knowledge.

Prison Accommodation. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: As I stated, we are bringing on 400 extra places within the next six to eight months, and that must be acknowledged. If my memory serves me correctly, during the time Deputy Flanagan's party was in Government it did not provide one extra prison place. We will provide extra prison spaces in Thornton Hall as well. When that comes on stream it will cure many of the difficulties in the prison...

Prison Accommodation. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: It should. I hope it will.

Prison Accommodation. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: My understanding is that the negotiations are still ongoing with the preferred bidder. They are at an advanced stage and, hopefully, they will come to conclusion sooner rather than later. It must be accepted that in the current financial situation worldwide and in this country there are difficulties in that respect. Whatever the decision on the contract, which will be made by the NTMA, the...

Prison Accommodation. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I assure this House that not a single cent or euro will be paid by the taxpayer on this project until it is handed to the preferred bidder, whoever it is, and until the project is finished.