Results 4,541-4,560 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Fiscal Policy. (18 Oct 2006)

Brian Cowen: Who is interrupting now?

Fiscal Policy. (18 Oct 2006)

Brian Cowen: Obviously, the Deputy does not want to hear the answer.

Air Services. (18 Oct 2006)

Brian Cowen: As Minister for Finance and a shareholder in the company, my officials and I worked closely on the IPO process with the Minister for Transport and his officials, who have primary responsibility for all aviation policy matters, including the sale of Aer Lingus. The sale of the over-allotted shares was done under the price stabilisation mechanism generally known as "Greenshoe", a standard...

Air Services. (18 Oct 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am afraid Deputy Boyle does not understand the procedures that are involved here.

Air Services. (18 Oct 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am afraid Deputy Boyle is incorrect. The IPO was a success. There have been other IPOs involving reputable companies going to the market which had to be withdrawn. This IPO was a success. We did not sell 7% of the over allotted share option, as Deputy Boyle stated in his question; we sold 100% of the over allotted share option.

Air Services. (18 Oct 2006)

Brian Cowen: That is just the second point. The third point is that this is a normal feature of IPOs, where one withholds in a staggered process shares which are in the remit of the underwriters — it is not a question of veto by Government — to ensure that there is an orderly bringing to the market of the stock being purchased. One only holds it in the event that the share price goes under the bid...

Air Services. (18 Oct 2006)

Brian Cowen: Deputy Boyle either agrees with ensuring that Aer Lingus has access to private capital markets or he does not. He clearly does not.

Air Services. (18 Oct 2006)

Brian Cowen: Aer Lingus must have access to capital markets to compete on a level playing field with all of the successful carriers, even Continental Airlines, in Europe. We decided to hold 25.1% at a minimum so that we could have that minority holding to allow us to continue to play some role in the development of the company and to ensure the future of the Heathrow slots. The slots cannot be disposed...

Air Services. (18 Oct 2006)

Brian Cowen: This is a policy, not a personality issue, about maintaining a competitive aviation sector in Ireland with a strong Aer Lingus and a strong Ryanair. In the past when Ryanair was under pressure, Governments of all compositions vacated slots and, quite rightly, supported competition in the marketplace with all the benefits accruing to consumers and the economy as a result. Let us deal with...

Air Services. (18 Oct 2006)

Brian Cowen: On the basis of many statements by Opposition Members, they do not even know basic company law.

Tax Code. (18 Oct 2006)

Brian Cowen: The position is that home care services provided directly by the Health Service Executive, HSE, do not generally come within the scope of VAT, as public bodies are not regarded as taxable persons. This means that they do not charge VAT on the services they provide and cannot recover VAT incurred on their input costs. The package of services aimed at older people, announced by the Minister...

Tax Code. (18 Oct 2006)

Brian Cowen: This is a technical area involving interpretation of the EU VAT directives. Where the home care packages are provided directly by the private company, medical treatment or the administering of medication by medical professionals is VAT-exempt provided the costs of such services are invoiced separately, while all other elements of the package are subject to the reduced rate of VAT, which is...

Tax Code. (18 Oct 2006)

Brian Cowen: To paraphrase the words of a gentleman in a BBC drama, "The Minister might say that but I could not possibly comment".

Tax Code. (18 Oct 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am seeking to apply domestic VAT law in compliance with EU VAT directives, which is the norm for the Minister and the Department and I am, therefore, not seeking to ignore these issues. What interest would I have in ignoring the VAT laws, given that I cannot ignore them?

Tax Code. (18 Oct 2006)

Brian Cowen: If the Deputy wants to ask a separate question on refuse charges, she should put down a question and I will give her an informed answer.

Tax Code. (18 Oct 2006)

Brian Cowen: I thought the Deputy had a good opportunity to put the question. We do not intend to totally privatise services as we have a mixed model — public and private — with regard to medicine and the health service. When we discussed the issue of child care in the House last year, the Deputy referred to the importance of the informal sector and the importance of allowing people to make their...

Tax Code. (18 Oct 2006)

Brian Cowen: It is not a question of cheap shots. The only ideology I hear is from the Deputy.

Tax Code. (18 Oct 2006)

Brian Cowen: This is a Parliament, not a crèche. The Deputy seems to be of the view that publicly provided services are in all cases intrinsically more valuable and better provided than privately provided services. I contend that a choice should be available to people if they so wish it. Of course there is an obligation on us to provide publicly provided services, which we do. However, we have used...

Tax Code. (18 Oct 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am answering the question.

Tax Code. (18 Oct 2006)

Brian Cowen: No, the question I am answering——