Results 7,521-7,540 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Benchmarking Process. (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: What is correct is that we have pay determination systems in order to have an orderly——

Benchmarking Process. (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: Let me explain to the Deputy why it is correct.

Benchmarking Process. (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: I am anxious to answer the Deputy's question but I cannot answer it while he is talking. He is not helping me and is creating confusion.

Benchmarking Process. (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: With regard to the pay-related matters it is true we did not accept that recommendation because this would have provided for higher remuneration again. It is true we accepted the recommendation on basic rates which allowed for a 7.3% increase on average for those recommended by the review body. The benchmarking exercise which seeks to relate public service provision for pay and remuneration...

Benchmarking Process. (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: I am answering the Deputy's question.

Benchmarking Process. (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: That is the pay determination system which is in place and it works well. It makes for an orderly public service pay round. Now that the Towards 2016 pay provisions will end in September we must see whether we can negotiate a further pay round.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: The proposals published by the Commission begin the process which will lead to an agreement on the contributions of individual member states towards meeting the EU targets agreed at the 2007 EU Spring Council. The Commission's proposals require Ireland to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020, based on 2005 emissions figures and achieve an overall target of 16% of final energy...

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: It is important to point out that we are at the start of a process here rather than at the end of one. We have proposals from the Commission and we are anxious to ensure it is a fair and transparent system that provides a fair measure of burden-sharing consistent with the criteria that have been outlined. These targets are part of a number of proposals that were released last week but they...

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: I find it ironic coming from a Deputy who was a member of the Government in the mid-1990s whose public transport budget in 1996 was zero. Not a bob was given to public transport.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: We are not talking about Mr. Todd Andrews and Harcourt St. That was long before my time and Deputy Burton's time.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: Does Deputy Burton want a political history lesson or to talk about the here and now?

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: We are making unprecedented investment in public transport in the here and now. When the Deputy speaks of carriages, one must consider the number of new carriages that are now being provided on our trains, the number of Luas projects that are going ahead, and the detailed discussions I am having with the Minister for Transport on metro, metro north etc.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: There are detailed plans in place.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: Interrupting does not take away from the point. The fact is that we are making——

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: ——an unprecedented investment in public transport. There is no comparison with our record and that of Deputy Burton when she was in Government.

Computerisation Programme. (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: My Department provides assistance to e-Government projects in terms of funding and advice, in the context of providing similar funding and advice to ICT projects generally. Under e-Government policy this Department specifically committed to developing an e-procurement strategy that included a service for on-line tendering, a shared system for human resource management, an e-Estimates system,...

Computerisation Programme. (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: I do not agree with the representation that Deputy Bruton puts on these matters. It is popular to suggest, for example, that the report to which he refers demonstrates that e-Government has been a failure. Of course the report does no such thing. No objective observer could describe the story of e-Government in Ireland as one of failure. To do so is to denigrate the valuable work of those...

Computerisation Programme. (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: I do not accept the interpretation the Deputy is putting on events. The purpose of Question Time is for me to provide accurate information. The Deputy may get involved in rhetoric as much as he likes. He talks about——

Computerisation Programme. (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: Allow me to answer the question. The problem is the Deputy is getting an answer he does not like.

Computerisation Programme. (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: It is not waffle, it is related to what is in the report. The report highlights some projects that it describes as "abandoned". It is the case that some projects were either halted early in their life cycle or never commenced because it was decided that they were either unlikely to succeed or the situation had changed so significantly that it would be folly to proceed. Had they proceeded...