Results 121-140 of 1,279 for speaker:Michael Ahern

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (12 Mar 2003)

Michael Ahern: Before replying, I wish to address an issue raised by Senator O'Toole concerning Maeve McDonagh who was mentioned in the Dáil yesterday in relation to the issue of personal information and the proposed amendment in section 4 to substitute the words "relate to" with the word "contain". I understand the focus of the discussion on radio this morning was the remit of the Information...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (12 Mar 2003)

Michael Ahern: He is not here today.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (12 Mar 2003)

Michael Ahern: The amendment will be opposed as its effect would be to delete a necessary consequential amendment. The consultation requirements set out in section 19(4) of the principal Act will be redundant in view of the provision contained in section 12(a)(i) which substitutes the words "shall refuse" for the words "may refuse" where they appear in section 19(1) of the principal Act. The effect is to...

Seanad: Motor Insurance: Motion. (12 Mar 2003)

Michael Ahern: I commend Senators Ross, O'Toole and Norris for putting this motion before the House and I am delighted to be here to contribute to the debate.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Air Services. (13 Mar 2003)

Michael Ahern: As the Senator is aware, Aer Rianta has statutory responsibility for the management, operation and development of State airports, including Cork Airport which is now in existence for over 40 years. The number of passengers, in the first full year of operation following the official opening of the airport by the then Taoiseach, Sean Lemass, on 16 October 1961, totalled 78,000. The airport has...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Company Closures. (13 Mar 2003)

Michael Ahern: I thank the Senator for raising this matter on the Adjournment. I learnt with grave disappointment of the decision by TexTech Limited to cease production at its Kilkenny facility with the loss of 75 jobs. I understand that closure will take place on a phased basis over the next few weeks TexTech Industries is a privately owned US company headquartered in Portland, Maine. It is involved in...

Seanad: Employment Permits Bill 2003: Second Stage. (27 Mar 2003)

Michael Ahern: I am pleased to have the opportunity to present this important Bill to the Seanad. The Bill is designed primarily to provide a legislative basis for the granting of full labour market access to nationals of the EU accession states after accession takes place in May 2004. From the date of accession, nationals of these countries will no longer require employment permits to work in Ireland. It...

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (16 Apr 2003)

Michael Ahern: I would like first to declare an interest and at this stage a non-interest, in that I am retired from my auditing and accountancy profession – just in case anyone would attack me afterwards. I am very pleased to bring this Bill before the House. The origins of the Bill can be traced back to the report of the Committee of Public Accounts of Dáil Eireann of December 1999 which recommended,...

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (16 Apr 2003)

Michael Ahern: Former interests.

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (16 Apr 2003)

Michael Ahern: I thank Senators for their contributions to this debate in which many interesting points have been raised, of which I will address as many as possible in the time remaining to me. First, I wish to stress that the purpose of the Bill is to promote a culture of corporate compliance in Ireland. I wish to reassure Senators Coughlan and Leyden in relation to their concerns about impositions on...

Seanad: Adjournment Matter. - Schools Building Projects. (13 May 2003)

Michael Ahern: I thank the Senator for giving me the opportunity of outlining to the House the current position of the Department of Education and Science on the proposed acquisition of a site for Charleville national school, Tullamore, County Offaly. The Minister for Education and Science decided to publish the 2003 schools building programme on the departmental website to give the maximum amount of...

Seanad: Adjournment Matter. - Schools Building Projects. (13 May 2003)

Michael Ahern: I will convey the Senator's concerns to the Minister. The Seanad adjourned at 7.10 p.m. until 12.30p.m. on Wednesday, 14 May 2003.

Seanad: Redundancy Payments Bill, 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (14 May 2003)

Michael Ahern: The reason for this amendment is that the current wording in the Bill could be interpreted to mean that the person must be currently practising as a barrister or solicitor, and this would be more onerous than the requirements for the chairman of the tribunal. The amendment exactly mirrors the wording which applies to the chairman, with the exception that the experience required is five rather...

Seanad: Redundancy Payments Bill, 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (14 May 2003)

Michael Ahern: Section 13 is amended so that continuity of service is not broken by sickness. The omission of sickness from the Bill was an oversight. Amendment No. 2a is consequential. Amendment agreed to. Government amendment No. 2a: In page 7, line 40, to delete 3 and substitute 4. Amendment agreed to. Section 13, as amended, agreed to. SECTION 14. Government amendment No. 3: In page 9, line 12, to...

Seanad: Redundancy Payments Bill, 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (14 May 2003)

Michael Ahern: This is a technical amendment that deletes superfluous words. Amendment agreed to. Section 14, as amended, agreed to. Sections 15 to 17, inclusive, agreed to. NEW SECTION.

Seanad: Redundancy Payments Bill, 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (14 May 2003)

Michael Ahern: Section 1 is moved to this new section and this is required by convention in a short Bill.

Seanad: Redundancy Payments Bill, 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (14 May 2003)

Michael Ahern: I am not in a position to accept the amendment, having regard to legal advice from the Office of the Attorney General. First, as the payment of a statutory redundancy lump sum is a legal requirement on employers, it could not be imposed on them with retrospective effect. Employers are entitled to due notice of intention to legally require them to pay enhanced rates. Second, the new redundancy...

Seanad: Redundancy Payments Bill, 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (14 May 2003)

Michael Ahern: I will bring the points raised by the Senator to the attention of the Tánaiste.

Seanad: Redundancy Payments Bill, 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (14 May 2003)

Michael Ahern: I can only comment on the basis of the information provided to me that the Tánaiste, at that meeting, advised the people concerned that she would use her best endeavours – that she would do what she could – to help the situation of those being laid off. The Senator's colleague, Senator John Phelan, who attended that particular meeting, stated earlier this afternoon that he was under the...

Seanad: Redundancy Payments Bill, 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (14 May 2003)

Michael Ahern: As Deputy McGuinness did not comment on the matter in my presence, I do not know what he said. I have no doubt that if Senator John Phelan was confident that he had heard the Tánaiste promise retrospection, he would be leaping up and down and thumping the table. He did not do that; the stated that he was only "under the impression".