Results 12,821-12,840 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Leaders' Questions (13 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: There cannot be a mass publication of the report. That is the legal advice that we have. That is why the redactions have been made. On the question regarding the services being provided, it is true to say that as a result of this report an out-of-hours service has been put in place for children who are at extreme risk in order for them to be taken to a place of safety. That service will be...

Leaders' Questions (13 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: I am very conscious that this is a tragic time for any family involved in such a situation. There is no question of an attempt to cover up anything but rather it is a question of taking legal advice as to what is publishable-----

Leaders' Questions (13 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: -----on the basis of what was produced to the Ministers concerned as a result of the work done by those who did the work. It is as simple as that. On the question of what lessons are to be learned, the whole purpose of publishing the remainder of the report was to this end and relates to the fact that there are lessons to be learned and we need to learn those lessons.

Leaders' Questions (13 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: An out-of-hours service will be provided to ensure a place of safety for children who are at extreme risk. This was not available in the past and it will now be provided because it is necessary. With regard to the point raised by the Deputy on the role of the HSE, it will also have to take whatever steps it can take to learn lessons from this report. The chief executive officer of the HSE...

Leaders' Questions (13 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: I am sorry, the Attorney General is the person who advises Government in these matters, not the Deputy or anyone else -----

Leaders' Questions (13 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: There is no point in coming across-----

Leaders' Questions (13 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: I am entitled to speak without interruption.

Leaders' Questions (13 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: I am entitled to put on the record of the House-----

Leaders' Questions (13 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: The reply does make sense in the context that it is consistent with the legal advice available to the Government and with regard to what action the Government needs to take as a result of this report. My reply also confirms to the Deputy that it does not mean that arising out of this report there will not be action taken by the HSE on a range of areas.

Leaders' Questions (13 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: One of the issues is the need to be in a position to provide out-of-hours service for a place of safety for children at extreme risk. This will now be provided from June in a way that was not available before and when there was a gap in the service.

Leaders' Questions (13 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: As the Deputy says, the idea that there are no other parts of the health service-----

Leaders' Questions (13 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: What is the point of trying to reply?

Leaders' Questions (13 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: The idea that there are no other parts of the health service available on a 24-hour basis is not correct. The mental health services, the acute hospital services, the GP services, all of these services are also available to assist in these matters if problems arise, in addition to what is now being proposed by the Minister of State, Deputy Barry Andrews, as a solution to the question of...

Departmental Staff. (13 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together. Some 23 member of staff appointed to my Department are subject to temporary contracts which will expire when the office-holder concerned ceases to hold office. In several cases, where the individuals concerned held Civil Service posts prior to their appointment, they will be entitled to return to their previous posts on...

Departmental Staff. (13 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: I do not have the specific information with regard to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Office of the Attorney General. I can come back to the Deputy as to whether or not the couple of vacancies referred to in the general reply are in those offices. We are not concerned here with an embargo in that it does not imply that no filling of vacancies whatsoever can take...

Departmental Staff. (13 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: No, as I said in an earlier reply, arrangements for the health and education sectors have been modulated to ensure key services will be maintained in so far as possible.

Departmental Staff. (13 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: Let me reply to the question. There will be flexibility to allow for continued development of health care services, particularly primary and community care services, and services for the care of the elderly and people with disabilities. Based on the 2008 employment outturn and the provision for development posts in the 2009 budget, the opening 2009 employment control ceiling for the health...

Departmental Staff. (13 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: The overall situation regarding the need to control numbers is that 36% of our total budget relates to pay. This issue must be controlled and watched very carefully given the fact that the Government has to borrow €20 billion this year, in addition to the revenues it takes in to try to maintain services. Fine Gael's critique has been that we are not cutting enough. Its spokesperson on...

Departmental Staff. (13 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: The moratorium applies to the Garda Síochána. Currently, appointments from superintendent level upwards are made at Government and appointments up to inspector level are made by the Commissioner of the Garda Síochána. As is the case with other sectors, the Minister for Finance has the authority to sanction the filling of some vacancies in very exceptional circumstances.

Departmental Staff. (13 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: At the end of 2008, the total attested strength of the Garda for all ranks was 14,412. At the end of this year the number will have increased to 14,900 and in 2010 the total number of gardaí is expected to be 14,800.