Results 1,881-1,900 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Order of Business (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The draft general scheme of the nurses and midwives Bill is at an advanced stage. I will raise the issue of the heads with the Minister and the legislation should be in the House in the next session.

Order of Business (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is. These issues will be dealt with under the proposals for the upcoming referendum on children's rights. It will give effect to the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Child Protection.

Order of Business (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I do not believe there is a provision to make time. The committee responsible for European affairs has not yet been set up.

Order of Business (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: We are trying to deal with it. Perhaps we will have a meeting on the issue before the December Council meeting. With regard to the opt-out proposal, I saw some references this morning that are not correct. The current position is that justice and home affairs issues are dealt with through unanimity. We are moving to a position of qualified majority voting, QMV. Most issues will create no...

Order of Business (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I negotiated the emergency brake and I know precisely what it does and does not do. The emergency brake would not cover those issues.

Order of Business (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Every second issue would require the use of the emergency brake and that was not its intention. On qualified majority voting, with the British having put forward their position — which the Deputy knows is different from that in 2004 — we have to protect our position. In a limited number of areas where QMV would operate and which would be against the Irish interest, we would have to opt...

Order of Business (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I will.

Order of Business (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I have been in touch with people involved in this in other countries and there is a total understanding of the Irish position so it is not correct that there is great concern.

Order of Business (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy, having asked a question, does not listen to the answer. That is a bad habit. The difference is that the British changed their position from the 2004 position. Decisions made in the Justice and Home Affairs Council were for many years based on unanimity. Differences exist not only in our common law systems but also in the way we look at legal positions and how such positions...

Order of Business (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The suggestion regarding the European prosecutor is totally at variance with our legal system. That is one example but there are others. As Deputy Jim O'Keeffe is well aware, that would affect our common travel position. As already stated, however, not many areas will be affected. We must have that protection in place because otherwise the country would be placed at a disadvantage in a...

Order of Business (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Government has a clear view on this issue. We are of the opinion that the best course of action is to make a declaration. We will prepare the latter in the coming days and I will outline its contents next week when our deliberations on this matter are complete.

Order of Business (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I must look to the Leader of the Opposition in this regard. I replied to a question from a member of his party. If Deputy Kenny makes a request to me, I will consider it.

Order of Business (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: As stated at the outset, the Government made a decision to prepare a declaration and it will do so. That declaration is consistent with our position throughout but it takes account of the changed circumstances, particularly in the context of what the UK Government decided at the June European Council meeting. There is no divergence of opinion among the Departments of Justice, Equality and...

Order of Business (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The heads have been approved and the Bill is due early next year.

Order of Business (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is still not on the list.

Order of Business (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: There are different aspects to this brief. In response to Deputy Coveney's question, the Minister responsible for sea fisheries is the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. However, there are other aspects which are dealt with by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, while the issue of safety is dealt with by the Department of Transport and the Marine.

Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I join Deputy Kenny and, I am sure, everybody in the House in conveying deepest sympathies to the family of Manuela Riedo. It was a callous murder of a girl who had only recently arrived in Ireland. The Garda Síochána has launched a major murder investigation and whatever resources are necessary to apprehend the killer will be made available. The decision at the beginning of August, on...

Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Several of my colleagues have gone to the region and I have met several of those organisations. I met all the main organisations who sought meetings with me in the middle of August.

Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: As the Deputy knows, the senior officials group has put forward a programme, on which we are working, to address the obvious implications for Shannon, and the Government admits there are implications. Those implications have perhaps, at times, been broadened out in a way with which we do not agree but there are negative impacts for tourism and business people wishing to travel. We have...

Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Kenny will recall that the board did not make that decision — it was made by the senior management of the company.