Results 11,921-11,940 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Ministerial Responsibilities. (25 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: I reject the patronising nature of some of those comments. The fact is that we must run a Government. This is a modern country with a Government with many responsibilities at home, in Europe, abroad, within Departments and throughout various areas of policy which are being developed. We introduced the idea of cross-departmental responsibilities which have worked very well for the elderly...

Ministerial Responsibilities. (25 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: That takes some doing taking into account the irregularities in the Deputy's quarter.

Ministerial Responsibilities. (25 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: The Oireachtas Commission deals with these matters and then discusses them with the Minister for Finance.

Ministerial Responsibilities. (25 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: I do not believe the Houses of the Oireachtas are irrelevant but I do believe we need to update our procedures and reach agreement on how we can do this without anyone trying to jockey for advantage. That is always the problem.

Ministerial Responsibilities. (25 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: It is not. I have been a Member for 25 years and seen many proposals from various sides of the House.

Ministerial Responsibilities. (25 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: If we are interested in it, we should all commit ourselves to reform. The Chief Whip will bring forward a comprehensive set of measures soon and we should deal with them then.

Ministerial Responsibilities. (25 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: In respect of the simple changes mentioned by the Deputy, if we want a comprehensive set of measures, let us make them comprehensive.

Ministerial Responsibilities. (25 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: That is not true. The Chief Whip will bring forward comprehensive measures. The plenary sessions could be improved. Unfortunately, much good work is conducted at committee level that is not relayed to the general public. I do not accept that we do not do important work. There is an exercise in accountability here every day of the week. I am in the House every Tuesday afternoon and every...

Dublin-Monaghan Bombings. (25 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 8 together. Judge Barron prepared reports on the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, 1974; the Dublin bombings of 1972 and 1973; the murder of Seamus Ludlow and the bombing of Kay's Tavern, Dundalk. The work of the commission of inquiry began in January 2000. Judge Barron completed his work in July 2006. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality,...

Dublin-Monaghan Bombings. (25 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: The suggestion made in the Deputy's second point is premature. I do not know whether any bureaucratic or administrative issue would arise if that recommendation were to proceed. It is only one of several but has been the most extensively highlighted. I do not see what complexity would attach to the process or administration of payments to those affected by the conflict that would require...

Dublin-Monaghan Bombings. (25 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: As I said when I answered questions on this matter during a previous Question Time, the problem that has arisen relates to the conduct of their work by the commissions of inquiry. Mr. Justice Barron has conducted his work. Mr. MacEntee, who was the sole member of the commission of investigation, handed over his final report in March 2007. It was published in April of that year. Some...

Dublin-Monaghan Bombings. (25 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: This has been an ongoing matter.

Dublin-Monaghan Bombings. (25 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: Yes. It is an ongoing matter. We will never get to the bottom of — to the truth of — many things that happened during the Troubles, unfortunately. I refer not only to the matters raised by the Deputy, but also to a range of other issues of equal concern. I do not suggest that this is not a matter of import. I do not mean to lessen in any way the importance of the all-party motion that...

Dublin-Monaghan Bombings. (25 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: I have indicated that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has made an allocation of €125,000 for that group this year.

Dublin-Monaghan Bombings. (25 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: If the Deputy wants more detail, I suggest that he should table a parliamentary question to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Funding was provided to the group mentioned by Deputy Ó Caoláin to help it to deal with various issues. Commissions of inquiry, etc., were established by the Government as part of an effort to answer the questions asked by the group. Those...

Dublin-Monaghan Bombings. (25 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: They have been brought as far as the mechanisms I have mentioned were able to bring them. I understand that funding was provided to the group to enable it to interact with the mechanisms that were set up for these purposes. I have indicated to the Deputy that, for the purposes of this year, the work of those commissions of inquiry, etc., has been concluded. They have brought it as far as...

Order of Business (25 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: It is proposed to take No. 11, motion re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the establishment of "Eurodac" for the comparison of fingerprints (back from committee); No. 12, motion re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the criteria and...

Order of Business (25 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: The purpose of having the committee system is that issues such as these, which are quite specialised and specific, are discussed in committee. The urgency is for them to be agreed before the justice and home affairs committee meeting scheduled for the end of the month. We are looking for them to be referred back from committee for today and therefore we need to adopt them formally in...

Order of Business (25 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: That is a matter that can be considered by the Whips.

Order of Business (25 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: First, this is an urgent matter. The Bill needs to be enacted so that it can be brought into effect from 1 March. Second, we have indicated the reasoning behind it and the options that were available to Government. Third, the suggestion that all this should be withdrawn and held back would serve to indicate both at home and abroad that we were not prepared to make the necessary adjustments...