Results 16,181-16,200 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Order of Business (24 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: Work is ongoing on that matter.

Order of Business (24 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: It means we are seeking ensure a sustainable method of funding a very important industry. Work is ongoing. When it is complete the Minister will bring proposals to Government and we will consider them and deal with the matter.

Order of Business (24 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: That is the objective of the exercise.

Order of Business (24 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: The first Bill will come before the House next week and the second Bill in the summer.

Departmental Committees. (30 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together. My Department was represented on the national emergency response co-ordination committees, established each time on an ad hoc basis, with regard to the two severe weather situations of recent months. The committees were chaired by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government as the lead Department. The...

Departmental Committees. (30 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: I do not accept that. Flooding arose from exceptional rainfall in a short period following very heavy rainfall throughout the year. Local authorities responded to the emerging position using the co-ordination and inter-agency arrangements set out in the framework for emergency management. As I saw for myself, there was excellent co-operation between local authorities, the Health Service...

Departmental Committees. (30 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: On that specific point, county councils have estimated the considerable damage done to part of the road network in various parts of the country came to a total of approximately €180 million. In a year of tight public finances, the Minister allocated €240 million to local authorities, for which they will have full discretion. As the Deputy will be aware from past experience, in normal...

Departmental Committees. (30 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: To the credit of local authority workers and front line staff, certain industrial relations issues were deferred, postponed or disregarded for the duration of the emergency. We were all grateful for that and it showed the civic-mindedness and good public-spiritedness of workers who simply sought to help neighbours as well as doing their job. That was indicative of the overall community...

Departmental Committees. (30 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: I did not suggest that there was an implied criticism by the Deputy in respect of any of the efforts being made. I just made the point that perhaps the agreement, subject to ratification, could form the basis upon which a greater degree of redeployment will be possible. I refer to the flexibility that will be needed, quite apart from the obvious flexibility in emergency situations to which...

Departmental Committees. (30 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: The Office of Public Works is the lead agency for dealing with flooding problems. It has had much success with considerable investment, approximately €150 million over the past several years, in flood relief projects. Regarding what further matters need to be examined as to what happened in Cork in November, as Deputy Coveney said, consideration is being given by the Oireachtas environment...

Departmental Committees. (30 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: The Army is always available to assist the civic authorities where called upon and available. In many parts of the country in which the Army was required during the flooding, it was very good at sand-bagging operations and arranging preventive measures at danger points in many towns at risk of flooding from their rivers. I saw all of these actions taking place. Where its assistance was...

Departmental Committees. (30 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: What roads are closed in my area? Deputy Bannon should name one.

Departmental Committees. (30 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: I thank Deputy Bannon for the close attention he pays to my area as well as his own. I thought he would have been kept busy enough in Longford and Westmeath but I am sure Deputy Enright is delighted to hear Deputy Bannon is down around her country to do a few jobs.

Departmental Committees. (30 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: Deputy Bannon should keep it up; he is not making an impact on me. It is important to point out the work of the committee was done and nothing was left undone as a result of the presence or absence of the Minister for the few days he was on a family holiday. Political capital has been made at this stage. Many prominent Opposition politicians were not around in that period but I have not...

Departmental Committees. (30 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: Being in Government, I ensured I was here for all of that week, as one would expect.

Departmental Committees. (30 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: I did not head up to that part of the country.

Departmental Committees. (30 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy's idea of water sports differs from mine.

Departmental Committees. (30 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy raised an important point on co-ordination of management of the Shannon River, an issue upon which there have been several discussions in the past and one which cannot be easily resolved. The Deputy will be aware there are historical issues in regard to bog development in that area on which the silting impact has been considerable, a problem also not easily resolved. I recall...

Departmental Committees. (30 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: No, I do not refer to Deputy O'Rourke. There is a particular Deputy, whom I will not name, in that general area who makes a habit of standing on the back of a tractor, on a couple of occasions with Mr. Jim Fahey, bemoaning the fact that we have a flooded Shannon.

Departmental Committees. (30 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: Efforts are being made to try to pull this together. There are various authorities involved, including the local authorities, the OPW and the ESB, which historically had a role in this. The role of the ESB is often questioned by locals in the area in terms of how quickly water is allowed down the river bearing in mind the Ardnacrusha situation. There are as many views on that issue as...