Results 15,981-16,000 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Order of Business (10 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: Every time I get to speak on this, Deputy Creed keeps interrupting me. I read his statement yesterday. He has a statement on this every day. Again, it is Deputy Creed seeking to introduce a degree of partisanship into this matter.

Order of Business (10 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: What is the story here? Does everyone have a right to keep talking while I am talking even though I listened in silence while they were speaking?

Order of Business (10 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: If Deputy Creed did not interrupt me, I would have answered by now if Deputy Timmins is interested in an answer but he is not interested in an answer. There is no prescribed issue in respect of the Ombudsman Act that the House dealt with.

Order of Business (10 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: It is a matter for the Houses of Oireachtas.

Order of Business (10 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: As the Ombudsman accepts, any Department is free in law to decide whether it will accept the recommendation. In many cases they are accepted but there have been occasions in which they had not been accepted. It is out of respect for the Ombudsman's office that we do not reject every recommendation.

Order of Business (10 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: The Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, outlined the Government's position in respect of this matter in the House. I do not accept some of the suggestions made about this. The Department's reason for taking that position is on the record of the House. It is entitled in law to take that position.

Order of Business (10 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: I am sorry Deputy-----

Order of Business (10 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: The Ombudsman Act is silent on how that can be dealt with. We dealt with it by way of statements in the House. It has been dealt with as far as the Government is concerned. The Department is entitled in law to take a position and this is accepted by the Ombudsman.

Order of Business (10 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: The recommendations are not legally binding and the Department is entitled in law-----

Order of Business (10 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: Members have asked for clarification and I am providing it.

Order of Business (10 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy continues with that-----

Order of Business (10 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: -----as his predecessor continued with it.

Order of Business (10 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: As Deputy Killeen stated in his Dáil statement the scheme once decided upon was properly and fairly administered by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.

Order of Business (10 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: He also pointed out that the Ombudsman has expressly acknowledged that she found no evidence to suggest that the scheme once launched was not applied equitably.

Order of Business (10 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: That is the situation, which does not fit Deputy Creed's little conspiracy theory with which he will keep on anyway.

Order of Business (10 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: The Ombudsman has presented her special report to the Houses of the Oireachtas. It is a matter for the Houses of the Oireachtas how it wishes to deal with it. We have had statements in both Houses on the matter.

Order of Business (10 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: I have explained the situation in terms of what the Department is legally entitled to do, which is accepted by the Ombudsman in any event.

Order of Business (10 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: The report speaks for itself.

Order of Business (10 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: I have just outlined-----

Order of Business (10 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: I have nothing to hide. That is the reason the report is being dealt with in this manner.