Results 9,841-9,860 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Dialogue with Faith Communities. (9 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: The discussion on this particular area relates to church-State relations generally and people's perspectives. It is an exchange of views held in normal delegate format where a group meets the Taoiseach or the person whom it wants to meet and sets out its position. It does not necessarily have to be a public forum. One can indicate through private questions and otherwise the general tone or...

Dialogue with Faith Communities. (9 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: The consultations and discussions to date have been addressed to approximately 20 churches and philosophical societies and there have been other expressions of interest, which are being addressed. The Muslim community will be part of that. It will be largely for the communities to address the issue of appropriate representation at meetings. It is hoped the delegations and their dialogue...

Dialogue with Faith Communities. (9 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: In view of the contacts made thus far, the next step on an official level is that we would welcome a plenary session with all the partners in the near future. That is on foot of my entry into office as Taoiseach but also because a wider coming together of all the partners from time to time reflecting a wider sense of community and mutual acceptance is important for our life together as a...

Dialogue with Faith Communities. (9 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: It has not, as far as I am aware. However if specific issues give rise to a wider general concern perhaps the Deputy would communicate them to me.

Departmental Expenditure. (9 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 to 6, inclusive, together. The communications unit will be retained in my Department as it provides a valuable media information service to Government Ministers and their Departments. It furnishes news updates and transcripts which ensure that Departments are kept informed in a fast and efficient manner of any relevant news developments. In this way,...

Departmental Expenditure. (9 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: I think the Deputy is referring to the fact there are press offices in every Department. This is not solely about listening to the radio——

Departmental Expenditure. (9 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: ——or looking at the television. It is about a communications unit in the Department of the Taoiseach communicating with the existing press offices, which are part of every Department of State and are necessary in the modern age. Given the number of outlets and queries, one could not provide an efficient service if one did not have some dedicated staff for that purpose and they are kept...

Departmental Expenditure. (9 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: They are dealt with in the press offices of individual Departments as part of their overall work. As Deputy Kenny knows as a former office holder, the work of the press office is to deal with press queries and to provide whatever information the Minister or his office is seeking. One needs people in situ in each Department who are acquainted with how the Department operates, who the...

Departmental Expenditure. (9 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: The communications unit is not a public relations body, it is simply an internal arrangement for transmitting information across Departments from within the internal workings of the Government. As the Deputy knows, the question of public relations concerns outside advice being obtained from external companies for the purpose of communicating various initiatives at Government level or within...

Departmental Expenditure. (9 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: No.

Departmental Expenditure. (9 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: No, it provides information across Departments. As a former incumbent in an office of State, the Deputy is aware that the press office deals with most of the requirements of any Department. There are occasions when people require outside communications companies to assist them. Personally, I have not used such companies much, but arrangements have been made in the past when there was a...

Public Service Pay. (9 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 9, inclusive, together. The projected cost of the implementation of the recommendations of the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Service to my Department is €115,099 for 2008. This includes costs in respect of departmental staff and special advisers in my Department. These costings are supplied in the following table. The first phase of...

Public Service Pay. (9 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: It refers to all the people who are affected by the review body's recommendations, including all those to whom the Deputy referred. I do not envisage that any retrospection will be contemplated. We are talking about requiring a Government decision to activate this matter. The Government has made the decision that no further increases will be paid to those who already received the first...

Public Service Pay. (9 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: Those who received payments under 5.5% in the review body recommendation were paid that amount in September 2007. Those whom it was recommended should be paid more received 5% in September 2007. There was a proposal that they would get another 5% in September 2008 and the remainder in September 2009. The Government made a decision early this year to defer that for a further year so the...

Public Service Pay. (9 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: Yes, that is correct.

Public Service Pay. (9 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: I would have to get that information for the Deputy. That question is wider than the remit of the question.

Public Service Pay. (9 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: To link it to performance with whom? That is the question. I take the view that public servants should be paid a remuneration commensurate with the responsibilities of what is available for similar jobs in the private sector. In that way, we try to ensure that we have more cross-pollination between the public and private sectors. We will get more people from the private sector coming into...

Public Service Pay. (9 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: Those are set out by the review body in the report.

Public Service Pay. (9 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: People who are well qualified in this area are members of that review body. They might know a little bit more about it than the Deputy, although he might be surprised to hear that. They were in a position to make comparisons which stack up in terms of the process and methodology. That is the situation. We know all the pompous arguments made thereafter and the political hay that was...

Public Service Pay. (9 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: I do not accept that we do not do that. The wider pay agreements are based on ensuring industrial peace and that we have ongoing reforms in the public service that are agreed to by the trade unions and staff representative bodies. Continuing reform is ongoing. The OECD points out the need to accelerate that, particularly at times when resources are tight and in view of the commitments we...