Results 16,221-16,240 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen
- Banking System: Motion (30 Mar 2010)
Brian Cowen: Today we take a tough but necessary step to recovery as a nation. The work done in the past year and a half on Ireland's public finances has greatly improved the world's view of Ireland. The cost of borrowing to fund our day-to-day enterprises has reduced markedly and we are now in a position to recover and grow the economy on a more sustainable basis. Many prominent commentators on the...
- Banking System: Motion (30 Mar 2010)
Brian Cowen: I did not approve anything. That is a scurrilous statement.
- Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (30 Mar 2010)
Brian Cowen: My Department is not currently leasing any properties from property landlords.
- Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (30 Mar 2010)
Brian Cowen: My Department is not currently leasing any properties to commercial business.
- Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (30 Mar 2010)
Brian Cowen: The National Economic and Social Development Office is the only agency under the Aegis of my Department. The Office has three constituent bodies; the National Economic and Social Forum (NESF), the National Centre for Partnership and Performance (NCPP) and the National Economic and Social Council (NESC), each of which has a Director/ CEO. The information regarding pay and remuneration for...
- Written Answers — Emigrant Support Services: Emigrant Support Services (30 Mar 2010)
Brian Cowen: I raised the issue of immigration reform in the US during the course of my meeting with President Obama. I informed the President that my Government has campaigned very hard over recent years to try to find a solution to the situation facing our undocumented community in the US and to put in place new bilateral migration arrangements between our two countries. In the US the feeling is that...
- Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (30 Mar 2010)
Brian Cowen: The position is summarised in the table beneath: Recommendation Action Taken NESDO Discontinue NESDO except for the NESC The NESF and the NCPP, constituent bodies of the NESDO, are being dissolved and their staff are being absorbed into the NESC. Ireland Newfoundland Partnership Discontinuation of the Ireland Newfound Partnership The work of the Ireland Newfoundland Partnership has been...
- Leaders' Questions (31 Mar 2010)
Brian Cowen: I have noted that for the past while Deputy Kenny, and the Deputy beside him this morning in one of the newspapers, has been trying to personally smear me or suggest I am in some way responsible for the collapse in the banking system.
- Leaders' Questions (31 Mar 2010)
Brian Cowen: I want to make it clear to Deputy Kenny that I take full responsibility for all my decisions as Minister for Finance - that is the first point. I always did and always will defend the actions of Government in the past.
- Leaders' Questions (31 Mar 2010)
Brian Cowen: However, the position that is being suggested in regard to a long-standing dinner engagement with Anglo Irish Bank has no relevance at all to this situation.
- Leaders' Questions (31 Mar 2010)
Brian Cowen: First, as Minister for Finance, I attended such meetings and dinners with other bankers down the years during my time. I want to make it clear that this has no relevance whatever to this situation. The situation Deputy Kenny wants to raise concerning the challenge to liquidity in the banking system, which subsequently turned into a serious problem on 28 September, as we saw, was dealt with...
- Leaders' Questions (31 Mar 2010)
Brian Cowen: -----and those of the Government. What we were seeking to contend with, as, indeed, was the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank, was an issue regarding liquidity challenges in the Irish system. That was well known and well documented at the time. Therefore, I do not accept for one moment this idea that Brian Cowen is personally responsible for the collapse of the banking system...
- Leaders' Questions (31 Mar 2010)
Brian Cowen: What has happened in regard to all of these matters is that we sought to deal with these situations on the basis of the best possible advice at the time and at all times. I do not accept the contentions made by Deputy Kenny and I treat them with contempt.
- Leaders' Questions (31 Mar 2010)
Brian Cowen: It is not that. It is the Deputy's tactics.
- Leaders' Questions (31 Mar 2010)
Brian Cowen: For heaven's sake.
- Leaders' Questions (31 Mar 2010)
Brian Cowen: I do.
- Leaders' Questions (31 Mar 2010)
Brian Cowen: It is not my nature; it is the truth.
- Leaders' Questions (31 Mar 2010)
Brian Cowen: I will answer this statement by Deputy Kenny. When I became Minister for Finance in 2004, I made my first budget speech for the 2005 budget a couple of months later. I set up a tax strategy group and reviewed all the property reliefs, etc. I used independent consultants, Goodbody and others. The tax strategy group and all those papers are on the website-----
- Leaders' Questions (31 Mar 2010)
Brian Cowen: I should be allowed to reply without interruption and not have to listen to some of Deputy McCormack's guff. He is the gurrier in chief when it comes to that sort of thing. I will not have my integrity challenged here by Deputy Kenny or the guilt by association he is trying to impute. When I became Minister for Finance in 2004, I set up such a group. Those papers are in the public domain...
- Leaders' Questions (31 Mar 2010)
Brian Cowen: People are trying to revise history. Right up to the general election of 2007, everyone held the same view of the future prospects of the Irish economy at that time.