Results 11,361-11,380 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Order of Business (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: There is no date for that yet.

Order of Business (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: There is no Bill relating to the third matter. As for the fines Bill, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform is preparing a fines Bill, for which I understand the Minister shortly will seek Government approval to publish. It will include provisions, with some redrafting, that were addressed in the Fines Bill 2007. Such provisions will be aimed at giving the courts new powers to...

Order of Business (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: Deputy Quinn stated he has written to the Minister concerned on the position. I do not have the detail in front of me. I will take the matter up with the Minister. I understand there is a Bill in preparation, due to be provided shortly. Deputy Quinn has devised his own Bill. I do not know whether it is in line with what the Minister proposes. I will have to check.

Order of Business (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: It is not easy either. The Bill is at an advanced stage of drafting. It is receiving the highest possible priority from the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. The Bill restates the law in several important respects. It is fully intended that the Bill will be published before the end of the spring session.

Order of Business (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: I understand from the Chief Whip that he is seeking to schedule arrangements whereby a statement will be made in the House on this matter in line with a commitment made. He is seeking to arrange that through the whips.

Order of Business (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: The Government is working intensely on this issue of multi-unit developments which is being treated as a priority. It is an ongoing issue which has been raised in the House and I have raised it at Government level. We intend to bring forward legislation, either one Bill or a number of them, in this regard in the not too distant future.

Order of Business (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: We are well aware of that issue. Work is progressing toward bringing the heads of the Bill to Government at the earliest available opportunity. Officials from the Office of the Minister for Children are working with their counterparts in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to bring forward legislation. It is extremely complex and potentially has constitutional implications,...

Order of Business (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: The Government has a working group working on that at present. I will come back to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 164, 167 and 168 together. Three Departments were reviewed in the pilot phase of the Organisational Review Programme (ORP): Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; Enterprise, Trade and Employment; and Transport. In conducting the reviews, three forms of questionnaire were deployed and one-to-one interviews and workshops were conducted involving the staff, agencies...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: The report of the independent Review of the Operation of Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) was published in July 2008 and is available on the Better Regulation website. The report indicates that, overall, good progress has been made in relation to the implementation of Regulatory Impact Analysis across Departments, with some 74 produced in the period between June 2005 and February 2008. The...

Written Answers — Irish Unity: Irish Unity (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: The Government is committed to work positively to help bring about Irish unity. In accordance with the will of the people, as expressed in the Constitution following the endorsement of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, we will work, in harmony and friendship, to unite all the people who share the territory of the island of Ireland, in all the diversity of their identities and traditions,...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: The Office of the Attorney General is accommodated in part of the North Block of Government Buildings in Upper Merrion Street, Dublin 2. The area occupied by the Office totals 40,380 square feet. The Buildings are the property of the State and are managed by the Office of Public Works. The notional rent (*) in respect of the Office of the Attorney General accommodation in 2007 was...

Written Answers — Departmental Guidelines: Departmental Guidelines (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: I have no plans to issue such advice or circular.

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: The total spent on foreign travel in respect of myself, Ministers of State and officials in my Department in 2008 was €536,885. The following table outlines the amount spent on foreign travel in 2008, by offices and bodies under the aegis of my Department. Details Amount spent on Foreign Travel in 2008 € NESDO 32,473 National Forum on Europe 11,750 Ireland Newfoundland...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: The number of staff in my Private Office and Constituency Offices since my appointment as Taoiseach on 7th May 2008, broken down by grade, salary cost (including overtime, expenses and allowances), are detailed in the table. There were six staff personally appointed by me. Staff in the Taoiseach's Private and Constituency Offices since 7 May 2008-31 December 2008 Office No. of Staff...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 175 and 176 together. The information requested by the Deputy regarding Civil Servants employed in the Constituency Office of the Government Chief Whip and Minister of State at my Department (who are solely engaged in Constituency work) is detailed in the schedule below. The Constituency Office of the Minister of State for European Affairs is based in the...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: The information requested by the Deputy regarding expenses and allowances paid to each Minister and to each Minister of State by my Department is detailed in the table. Name Allowance/Expense paid Allowance/Expense paid May-December 2007 Parliamentary office holder allowance Minister of State meeting allowance Travel expenses Parliamentary office holder allowance Minister of state...

Leaders' Questions (28 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: We have heard the usual outburst from Deputy Kenny.

Leaders' Questions (28 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: He is looking for the high ground.

Leaders' Questions (28 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: We have also had——