Results 11,721-11,740 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: The briefing he gave suggested I am protecting people, and I do not even know who they are.

Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: Deputy Kenny put his point and now I will put my point.

Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: I will make my points.

Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: The position is——

Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: I have answered that question. It was a preliminary remark, and I want to get to the heart of the matter.

Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: What is suggested in the briefing by Deputy Kenny and his people is that I am protecting someone. I am not protecting anyone but the Irish taxpayer and the Irish national interest. That is my sole concern.

Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: I hold no brief for anyone other than those people because they are the people I serve.

Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: Deputy Kenny can be listened to in silence but I cannot be listened to in silence, is that it?

Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: One of the points raised by the Deputy was whether the Ministers in the Taoiseach's Cabinet entourage supported a €300 million deal with select golden circle customers of Anglo Irish Bank. We were not involved with this, it was an internal bank matter. It had nothing to do with members of Government or any parties in the Government.

Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: I am entitled to reply to the question, Deputy Durkan. Of course, the old tactic is that if one throws enough muck some of it might stick. That is one of the reasons Fine Gael is so often on that rather than this side of the House.

Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: It is the old tactic. I want to make it clear to Deputy Kenny that every decision taken by this Government in respect of trying to handle a difficult financial crisis has been in the interest of the taxpayer and in the public interest, and in the interest of no one else. The Deputy asked about 29 September but there was no discussion on 29 September on those matters. What was being...

Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: I have made it abundantly clear that far from seeking to protect anybody, which is the nice juvenile conspiracy theory the Opposition has been going around with for the last three weeks——

Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: It is not over the top.

Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: One can take so much of that nonsense.

Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: This Government has been seeking to——

Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: I did not interrupt the Deputy. As a result of the due diligence undertaken on behalf of the Department of Finance, questions were referred to the Financial Regulator, which are now being investigated by the statutory authorities concerned. This suggestion of protection——

Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: ——is totally baseless. It is wrong, contemptuous and has no basis in fact. It is a political slur and smear campaign——

Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: ——in an effort for the Opposition to capitalise on difficulties that currently exist——

Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: ——in the financial system to see if it can get some cynical political advantage.

Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: That is precisely the game the Opposition is involved in. Let me tell the Irish people what I am trying to do.