Results 16,661-16,680 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Leaders' Questions. (12 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: In answering the question I was asked, I am entitled to set out the inconsistency of Deputy Kenny's position which flip-flops every couple of months.

Leaders' Questions. (12 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: Deputy's Kenny's indication in December was that there should be savings of €3.5 billion this year and now he is talking about €2 billion. We will stick to the plans-----

Leaders' Questions. (12 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: -----that we have agreed. On the question that has been asked by the Leader of the Opposition about economic sovereignty, the maintenance of credibility at home and abroad and to avoid situations that have happened elsewhere, the moves we have made have ensured that we have avoided that prospect. We intend to continue to effect recovery, bring growth into the economy-----

Leaders' Questions. (12 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: -----and to provide net job creation in 2011.

Leaders' Questions. (12 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: I am afraid that to ascribe that sort of motivation to the Department's comments is a conspiracy theory too far. The chairman's statement is a matter for the chairman of the bank.

Leaders' Questions. (12 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: The draft chairman's statement and the draft accounts for the year ended September 2008 were referred to the Department of Finance for comment and the Department provided a view.

Leaders' Questions. (12 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: The chairman's statement was finalised to reflect the chairman's considered views and published with the annual report. The chairman's statement was his own and reflected his views.

Leaders' Questions. (12 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: I am saying to Deputy Gilmore that I do not accept the motivation he is ascribing to the Department of Finance is correct at all.

Leaders' Questions. (12 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: I have stated-----

Leaders' Questions. (12 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: Deputy Gilmore has just made certain points about "doctoring" and all the rest of it. There is no question of that. I just made the point that where it is a nationalised bank, the chairman's statement and the draft accounts are referred to the Department of Finance for comment, which is the norm, and they were commented on.

Leaders' Questions. (12 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: They were and they provided a view. The paramount concern-----

Leaders' Questions. (12 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: -----of the Department of Finance and indeed, the Government, at the time of this statement was to do everything possible to protect the stability of the entire banking system. at a time of great fragility. In the context of spring 2009, it was important that any statement relating to the liquidity situation in any bank, particularly a nationalised bank where the taxpayer was directly...

Leaders' Questions. (12 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: That is the simple motivation of the Department of Finance in any of these matters. Any questions the Deputy wishes to refer to the Department of Finance may be referred to it, but I want to make clear that the portrayal, as he puts it, in terms of ascribing such a motivation to the Department-----

Leaders' Questions. (12 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: I am not here to comment on articles, but rather to give the facts of the situation as they are. The facts are as I have outlined, and any suggestion to the contrary is not the case, whatsoever.

Departmental Staff (12 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: The cost of the communications unit in February was approximately €20,189. The projected cost for the unit in 2010 is €242,269 with €112,220 being a direct cost to my Department and the balance being paid by three other Departments which have staff seconded to the unit. The projected cost for 2010 represents a reduction of 6% on the 2009 cost, 20% on the 2008 cost and 27% on the 2007...

Departmental Staff (12 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: There are Departments which use external media monitoring services for newspapers and specialist magazines dealing with their particular areas of activity. They use these services for media notifications specific to their Departments. External services are sometimes used for the provision of transcripts where these cannot be obtained from the communications unit because of time constraints...

Departmental Staff (12 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: A totally separate matter was dealt with by the Minister last week, I understand, during Question Time. If there are issues which are in the national media, such as news bulletins, etc., these are referred through the communications unit.

Departmental Staff (12 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: No it was not.

Constitutional Reform (12 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 to 4, inclusive, together. I have put it on record before that neither I, nor my Department, is solely responsible for the implementation of recommendations in the Reports of the Joint Committee. As Deputies may be aware, the joint committee has produced three reports to date dealing with freedom of expression; with amending the Constitution; and with the...

Constitutional Reform (12 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: I would not know that from the information available to me.