Results 14,701-14,720 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Leaders' Questions (9 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: In the meantime, as one comes to the end of one's contribution, the usual shouting starts.

Departmental Staff. (9 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together. All civil servants retiring from my Department are entitled to an annual pension and lump sum, in accordance with the relevant legislation and conditions of service. Since 1997, there have been two occasions when discretionary arrangements were made in accordance with comparable terms applied previously in similar circumstances, and were so...

Departmental Staff. (9 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: I do not want to paraphrase or repeat what went on at the relevant committee but it is clear that in respect of the matters to which Deputy Kenny's question refers there were issues about entitlement on the basis of dismissal and a person ending his service, and to avoid the prospect of litigation, although that had not been formally put to the authorities at the time. However, in an effort...

Departmental Staff. (9 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: These matters were dealt by personnel staff in the respective Departments working within the overall guidelines. As I said, the circumstances that were outlined and the particular issue raised by the Deputy have been well articulated, discussed and debated in the House. The rationale for it has been explained in the House, if it is not accepted by some. This is an issue that will be...

Departmental Staff. (9 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: I have not dealt with that specific matter since then. As the Deputy said, this matter has been dealt with by the line Department. I have received no advice to the effect that the retrospective-----

Departmental Staff. (9 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy made an assertion that retrospective Cabinet approval is required for that package. That is not anything I have been advised of. I will check out that matter but I would not accept that the Deputy's assertion is correct.

Departmental Staff. (9 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: If I may be allowed to answer the question, I will give my opinion, if the Deputy wishes. If she wants to answer it herself, that is fine. I will sit and wait for her answer.

Departmental Staff. (9 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: It is a fair question. I just want to be allowed to reply, that is all. The Deputy made an assertion that this was an illegal payment and that it requires retrospective Cabinet approval. I certainly have not been advised of that and I do not accept the Deputy's assertion that that is the case. Neither do I accept the assertion she makes that the Minister for Finance acted ultra vires....

Departmental Staff. (9 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: First, any revision of guidelines would be a matter for the Minister for Finance and the public service in the first instance. To come back to the specific point, I want to make it clear that the situation as it stood at the time was that the person concerned had certain rights and entitlements under the existing contracts he had as an employee of that organisation. The issue then arose on...

Departmental Staff. (9 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: I do not have the file in front of me but I want to make clear that the advice the Minister took came from the senior official in the Department.

Departmental Staff. (9 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: I have not been before the committee listening to the ins and outs of this in the way the Deputy has been. I would rather have the full file in front of me because I would then have no problem answering the questions.

Departmental Staff. (9 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: Perhaps if the questions were put down for the relevant Minister, the Deputy would get the full answer. I cannot be expect to have all of that in front of me.

Departmental Staff. (9 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy cannot ask me a question and then decide if I have the information. The purpose of questions is to table specific questions to get specific answers. I have sought to extend the courtesy of replying to the Deputy based on the knowledge available to me without notice but if the Deputy wants to play another game that is her business.

Social Partnership Negotiations. (9 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 to 5, inclusive, together. The Government has made it clear for some time that the public finance position is unsustainable. Our tax revenues have fallen sharply back to 2003 levels. This means we will have a deficit in the region of €22 billion this year. To bridge this gap, we are borrowing more than €400 million per week. We have made it clear...

Social Partnership Negotiations. (9 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: Quite the contrary. It is not about political expediency at all.

Social Partnership Negotiations. (9 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: Are we back into this process again?

Social Partnership Negotiations. (9 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: Given that good substantive questions have been asked I would like the opportunity to reply. I listened attentively in silence to what the Deputy had to say and I would like to respond. After my first sentence, perhaps people will allow me to expand and give my side of the equation. I do not expect the Deputy to agree with everything I have to say but, perhaps, that courtesy could be...

Social Partnership Negotiations. (9 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: The Towards 2016 document which was devised some years ago was a ten-year framework which set out very challenging objectives for everyone in social partnership. The economic crisis that has enveloped every country around us clearly means that many of those objectives have to be modified or prioritised because they were based on a time when the foreseeable future was far less uncertain than...

Social Partnership Negotiations. (9 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: If the outcome of the discussions does not result in the certainty and permanency which are needed, one has to consider alternative ways of going about it. I do not take away-----

Social Partnership Negotiations. (9 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: I agree, but some negotiations succeed and others do not.