Results 6,981-7,000 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Order of Business (15 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: So much for your situation.

Order of Business (15 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: All of these issues will be dealt with in terms of decisions on the Supplementary Estimates, not in regard to this matter. Decisions on departmental Estimates will be made in the course of the next few weeks. That is always the case as the final balances emerge. Regarding the budget reform process, it is a more transparent process. For a number of weeks now the Opposition Members have had...

Order of Business (15 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: It would be best if the Deputy put down a parliamentary question on that matter. I could not say, with accuracy, the number of those 41 Bills that have come before Cabinet at various periods of discussion.

Order of Business (15 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: Like the Deputy, I look forward to Christmas too.

Order of Business (15 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: On promised legislation, it is expected that the Bill will be enacted before the end of the session.

Order of Business (15 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: It is a matter for the Whips.

Order of Business (15 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: There is no legislation promised to amend the Competition Act.

Order of Business (15 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: From my knowledge of the position it is unlikely to be published before Christmas. Work is continuing on that matter in the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I understand it can be expected before the end of the first half of next year.

Order of Business (15 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: The Maritime Safety Bill is a Bill to empower the Minister to give directions to have ships moved in the interests of safety, security and heritage protection at sea; to transfer to the Minister the power to give effect to the international regulations for the prevention of collisions at sea; to establish maritime safety codes of practice; and to amend the Merchant Shipping Acts 1952 to 1993....

Order of Business (15 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: I do not know whether a promise was made, but the Whips can consider the matter. I hope something will emerge.

Order of Business (15 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: The Labour Party has its own.

Order of Business (15 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: No further legislation is required to ensure increased capacity to address the driver testing issue resulting from the proposed changes announced by the Minister recently. This week, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government answered oral questions in the House. I do not know whether the matter referred to by Deputy Broughan was of sufficient priority to raise it at the...

Order of Business (15 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: The Cabinet must first sign off on the mandate and issues that arise. We will then bring the matter to the Oireachtas. I hope that will happen in the next few weeks.

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (15 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: I have noted the issues raised by the Deputy. It is a long-standing practice of the Minister for Finance not to comment in advance of the Budget on any tax or expenditure matters that might be the subject of Budget decisions.

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (15 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: I have travelled by air, on official business, on four occasions, once in each of the months July, September, October and November. Each of these trips was on Government Aircraft the cost of which is met by the Department of Defence. The Minister of State has travelled by air, on official business on two occasions, once in July and once in October at a cost of about €1600.00.

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (15 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: I am not the subject of enforcement proceedings for the non-transposition of EU directives into Irish Law. There are no Reasoned Opinions relating to the transposition of EU directives being dealt with by Department Officials.

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (15 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 68 together. The Deputies may recall that I have answered Parliamentary Questions on this issue over the past year, including on 4 July 2007. The 2003 EU Energy Tax Directive incorporated special derogations which allowed specific excise duty reliefs to be applied in a number of Member States. In the Irish context, these derogations allowed for reduced...

Written Answers — Disabled Drivers: Disabled Drivers (15 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: The Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Scheme provides relief from VAT and VRT (up to certain limit) on the purchase of a car adapted for the transport of a person with specific severe and permanent physical disabilities, as well as relief from excise on the fuel used in the car up to a certain limit. The disability criteria for eligibility for the tax concessions...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (15 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: I have been advised by the Revenue Commissioners that they have no record of receiving a request from the taxpayers for forms P21 for the year 2006. On receipt of the Deputy's query, the Revenue Commissioners processed reviews and resultant forms P21 2006 will issue to the taxpayers in the coming days.

Benchmarking Awards. (20 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: The public service pay bill is the biggest single element in public expenditure, accounting for approximately half of all current expenditure. Every 1% increase in the public service pay bill costs approximately €180 million. The total cost of meeting the public service pay commitments arising from the current pay agreement under Towards 2016 will come to approximately €1.7 billion....