Results 12,501-12,520 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Financial Resolution No. 11: General (Resumed). (8 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: No.

Financial Resolution No. 11: General (Resumed). (8 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: That is a notional figure.

Financial Resolution No. 11: General (Resumed). (8 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: On a point of clarification, that figure would assume that every debt in every bank was a bad debt. That is what it would assume. That is from where the Deputy gets that figure.

Financial Resolution No. 11: General (Resumed). (8 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: We got back that money.

Financial Resolution No. 11: General (Resumed). (8 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: They were beaten in the semi-final.

Leaders' Questions (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: I understand that the Minister has answered parliamentary questions on this matter and alluded to the fact that the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission is now involved in reviewing the case. As the Deputy knows, when this matter was brought to the attention of the Minister for Transport just before last weekend, he asked that a review of the original file be sought from the Department's...

Leaders' Questions (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: An issue here arose which is being investigated by the relevant authorities - the Garda. The Minister asked for the file, and it arrived yesterday evening. Obviously, he will look at that. The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission is looking at it and we must go through that process. Clearly, if whatever arises out of it - whatever lessons are to be learned whereby a person who, it seems,...

Leaders' Questions (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: Having looked at the file, one then must find out how it happened. We set up in recent legislation a Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission to ensure that there was an independent assessment of such matters and to ensure public confidence that they were being looked at in a proper and appropriate way. There is no difference between myself and the Deputy on the matter. Obviously, we want to...

Leaders' Questions (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: On the first point Deputy Gilmore raised, as it happens the figures quoted in the newspapers this morning suggesting potential loss rates on foot of supports to the banking industry for Ireland do not appear in the IMF's final global financial stability report. I understand there was a figure in an earlier draft which the IMF did not use in the end. These figures should not be relied on as...

Leaders' Questions (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: With respect, I reject Deputy Gilmore's contention. He spoke about the game being up; we are not playing any game. We are in the serious business of trying to maintain financial stability in the State, against a background in which far stronger economies than ours are having to contend with the same mammoth task. Deputy Gilmore continues to use populist phrases such as "bail-outs".

Leaders' Questions (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: I want to answer the question. We are interested in protecting the maximum number of jobs in the economy. If I have to say so once, twice or three times to Deputy Gilmore, unless we have a functioning banking system it is not possible to do that.

Leaders' Questions (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: The Labour Party's position was to reject the State guarantee, an action which would have brought about the implosion of the banking system.

Leaders' Questions (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: The Labour Party is against capitalisation and every other action because it wants to keep playing the populist game.

Leaders' Questions (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: That is the Labour Party's game. It is getting much political kudos for it and hoping it will get it to the far side of June.

Leaders' Questions (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: The Government is involved in a more serious business. Like every other government, we will do whatever is necessary to maintain financial stability.

Leaders' Questions (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: We are not worse than any other government despite the Deputy's contention.

Leaders' Questions (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: Deputy Gilmore has quoted from a draft report but did not see the final report. When he saw the draft, he got his finance spokesperson to put out her statement in the morning. He then decided to come in here to have an argument about something that is not even in the final report.

Freedom of Information. (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together. A total of 28 freedom of information requests have been received to date in my Department in 2009. Of these, 15 were granted and four were part granted. Four requests are still being processed. As regards the other figures requested by the Deputies, I will circulate a table in the Official Report. All freedom of information...

Freedom of Information. (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: The question is about the factual information to what requests under the Freedom of Information Acts my Department received. It does not relate to a debate on the merits, or demerits as Deputy Bruton would see it, of the Acts. During my tenure as Minister for Finance, I widened the number of agencies that came under the Act's remit. Hundreds of State organisations are now required to work...

Freedom of Information. (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: All I know is that if I had taken Deputy Bruton's advice prior to the last election, we would be in an even worse economic situation now. He sought to increase the cost of housing by doing away with stamp duty.