Results 1,261-1,280 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——for the control and monitoring of locums. I do not want to give an impression that the removal of locums from the system can happen. Locum appointments are part of the structure. The aim of the group set up by Deputy Martin when he was Minister for Health and Children was to make sure there were standards in place for locum services. They are in place, but that does not always mean...

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: In fairness to the Minister, Deputy Harney, I understand that is not what she said. She said that legal clearance of the report is required. In all these reports——

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: In all these cases, when a report is prepared professionally in this way——

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——and names of people and their careers are mentioned, legal clearance is needed on those issues first.

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Time and again reports in which names have been redacted for legal reasons have gone to committees of the House. All the Minister said was that it required legal clearance.

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I understand Dr. Ann O'Doherty's report is nearly complete. She has done an extraordinary job going through over 3,700 mammograms in a very short period of time. At the same time, she carried out this review.

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Everybody has an interest in getting to the bottom of what happened so it is important that we see the report. In that context, I was advised this morning that the final special clinic was provided by Professor Arnie Hill yesterday evening for all the women who were contactable and available. Only a very small number of women did not attend and alternative arrangements have been made for...

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I wish to return for a moment to Deputy Kenny's question. When he asked me about the Minister's position, I answered as if it was the Minister's responsibility. Of course, the reason for the legal position is that the Minister did not commission the report. The HSE commissioned it, so legally the HSE must get clearance for the report. That is the point in law.

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: In reply to Deputy Gilmore, we are making every effort to try to bring the pharmacy issue to a resolution. Members have met a large number of pharmacists and my colleagues raised the issue with me last week. We have been trying to find a resolution; there are a number of elements involved. Discussions between the HSE and the IPU have continued under Mr. Bill Shipsey, SC on a mechanism to...

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is.

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Well, the Deputy is an expert but I am told it is.

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is planned that there will be continued engagement under Mr. Shipsey as the best way for both pharmacists and the HSE to continue to discuss the matter of mutual interest. Efforts are continuing. However, the pressure whereby people were being told that after Saturday they would have to start paying or make other arrangements, which was not factual in any case, has been avoided.

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I acknowledge Deputy Gilmore's point about the urgency with regard to what will happen on Saturday. This was presented to me by my colleagues last week. The recent developments are helpful and will allow the negotiations to continue. As Deputy Gilmore will appreciate, I would be the first one to say that negotiations are necessary on every issue. It is what I believe in. The difficulty...

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I am answering Deputy Gilmore. When the HSE, the Attorney General, the IPU and the APMI sought legal advice they all received the same advice from their eminent legal representatives that this was the difficulty. That is where the current system came from. It is creating problems in a number of areas. The difficulty in finding a resolution is the need to avoid returning to the cartel-type...

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——and which were frequently mentioned in the House. To answer Deputy Gilmore's question, I have asked that this be considered because it is unsatisfactory that a representative body cannot talk to whom it would see as its people.

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: We must find a system that is legally sustainable and I have asked the Attorney General to do that.

Departmental Bodies. (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together. The total costs incurred by the communications unit in respect of the month of October 2007 was €26,773, with €10,815 being a direct cost to my Department and €3,192 on average being borne by the five other Departments who have staff seconded to the unit. The total cost incurred by the unit for the first ten months of 2007...

Departmental Bodies. (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: There are two reasons. The first is that work done by civil servants is not made open to the entire House. This is similar to all other work done by civil servants in their professional capacity. Second, all the parties in the House receive considerable aid for their own press offices.

Departmental Bodies. (28 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: As I stated, this is not work done by the Oireachtas Commission. If it were, it would be open to anybody. Any work done within Government Departments is for the Government and in this case the staff of those Departments as well as Ministers. The Deputy is right in that this is communications data, but on that basis everything would be provided by all civil servants. On that basis, Sinn...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (27 Nov 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The total amount spent by my Department on courier documents, registered post and standard post, up to the end of October 2007 is detailed in the table below: Details Amount spent to end of October 2007 â'¬ Courier Documents 7,350 Registered Post 303 Standard Post 58,150