Results 1,201-1,220 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Departmental Bodies. (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It takes a range of the stories of the day and covers all the major stories.

Departmental Bodies. (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I looked at where that was in the newspaper. If it was to list every heading and item across the national newspapers——

Departmental Bodies. (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——that was not in a position of prominence. Even on this morning's list it would probably have approximately 15 headlines.

Departmental Bodies. (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I am not sure, but I think it did.

Departmental Bodies. (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: If not, I gave the FOI request on the issue. It normally covers The Irish Times, the Irish Independent and the Irish Examiner.

Departmental Bodies. (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Even if it took the Irish Examiner that day——

Departmental Bodies. (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——the article was not in a prominent position. It would probably take seven or eight stories, not 30 or 40 stories.

Departmental Bodies. (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: If it did, it would not be a brief summary. That is the point.

Departmental Bodies. (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Sometimes that happens.

Departmental Bodies. (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I have explained many times what the unit does. It is not a political outfit.

Departmental Bodies. (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is not like party press offices that misrepresent statements in the House every day. That is not its function. Even if Deputy Gilmore believes it is a matter of someone in a Department just clicking on websites, then someone must be doing that. It is what the people in the communications unit do. They send back someone else's data. This is why they have been seconded to the unit. The...

Departmental Bodies. (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: They do not communicate every single headline in every newspaper everyday, only when asked. Before, every Department used outside agencies to get interviews, tapes and cassettes, costing the State a fortune. The unit monitors, keeps the data and does scripts, saving the State a large amount of money. Ten years ago when it was done the old way, we spent nearly as much money as we are...

Departmental Bodies. (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I object to everything Deputy Gilmore said. He is entirely wrong and has made a slur on civil servants, namely, that they are doing a job they are not doing.

Departmental Bodies. (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: This is a reprehensible attack on civil servants by the leader of the Labour Party. He is entirely wrong.

Departmental Bodies. (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: He is challenging the ethics of the Civil Service and is entirely wrong. He should withdraw it. The civil servants in this case——

Departmental Bodies. (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: There is no politicisation. The Deputy is entirely wrong. The account I gave today is the account I have always given. The Deputy is entirely wrong and I give him an opportunity to withdraw a slur on six civil servants who are taking——

Departmental Bodies. (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is a slur on the civil servants, that they are doing a political job when all they are doing is——

Departmental Bodies. (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——carrying out the function of going through newspapers, giving headlines and tapes where needed and saving a fortune compared to what was spent before. It is an attack on the independence of the Civil Service. It is not becoming of the leader of the Labour Party to make such an attack. I reject it entirely.

Departmental Bodies. (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I want to answer the other questions. The Deputy can think carefully about what he should say because he is wrong.

Departmental Bodies. (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy is 100% wrong.