Results 1,761-1,780 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Order of Business (17 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It will be published in this session. I cannot be sure of the date.

Order of Business (17 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: We hope to get the committees up and running in the next week or so. The issue may be debated in a committee. The Whips can discuss the matter.

Order of Business (17 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Draft heads of the judicial council Bill are in the Department. Taking into account work done by the constitutional review group, Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution and the Chief Justice's committee on judicial ethics, the Bill will be the subject of certain consultations. It is listed for 2008.

Order of Business (17 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The mental capacity Bill is to reform the law on mental capacity, taking into account the Law Reform Commission's report. It is due next year.

Order of Business (17 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The aviation regulation Bill is for 2008. On the second matter, there is discussion between my officials and Mr. Gallagher, but we hope to get the matter started shortly.

Order of Business (17 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I will make the point to the Minister.

Order of Business (17 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The electoral amendment Bill will revise the Dáil and European Parliament constituencies in light of the forthcoming constituency commission report, revise the procedures in respect of the establishment of future commissions and deal with other electoral matters required to be addressed in advance of the 2009 European and local elections.

Leaders' Questions (17 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: There are three issues. The first relates to methadone, the second relates to ongoing negotiations between the HSE and the pharmaceutical organisations about prices and the third relates to the legal position in the context of competition law. On the first issue, this is a dispute between pharmacists and the HSE over the price of drugs, which the former dispense and for which they are...

Leaders' Questions (17 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The dispensing of methadone does not come under the agreement, which is the subject of the dispute. Whatever the merits of the dispute, the 3,000 methadone users should not be affected by it. There are ongoing talks with the HSE. The parties met on 3, 11 and 16 October under the auspices of Mr. Bill Shipsey SC. I do not know whether they can resolve the issue. The savings on the new...

Decentralisation Programme. (17 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together. Thirty three staff serving in my Department have applied through the central applications facility to relocate under the decentralisation programme. The breakdown by grade is: principal officer, one; assistant principal, five; higher executive officer, three; administrative officer, seven; executive officer, seven; staff officer,...

Decentralisation Programme. (17 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy appreciates that all of the questions have been tabled to my Department, but it is a matter for the Department of Finance to deal with the general position. I understand site or building acquisitions have now been completed or significantly advanced in 38 locations and progress is continuing on the identification of suitable sites or properties in others. Advance office...

Decentralisation Programme. (17 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: That is about half of them.

Decentralisation Programme. (17 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The strategy was to move approximately 7,000 people. A total of 11,000 people want to move and are on the list. That includes people in other locations. It was never a Dublin only strategy. Thankfully, even though the Deputy and I are honoured to represent Dublin, it is not a Dublin only society. Dublin is not the country.

Decentralisation Programme. (17 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: That is what it is doing, but a civil servant who works in Sligo and wants to move somewhere else should not be debarred from doing so.

Decentralisation Programme. (17 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Then we agree.

Decentralisation Programme. (17 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: If Deputy Bruton is suggesting that the idea was to reallocate staff——

Decentralisation Programme. (17 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The implication is that we should announce this and move everybody without negotiation, but I do not agree with that.

Decentralisation Programme. (17 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Bruton is against decentralisation.

Decentralisation Programme. (17 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I remember that the Deputy was against it in the 1990s.

Decentralisation Programme. (17 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: More than 40% of the 7,200 civil servant posts due to relocate under the programme are now filled by staff who are decentralising and are either in their new locations or are being skilled up for their new posts. Over the next few years we will see the relocation of the 10,900 civil servants who have applied to relocate under the decentralisation programme. The Central Applications Facility...