Results 16,801-16,820 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

European Council Meetings (25 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: I have just explained to the Deputy. In an effort to be helpful, of course we wish the return of both Deputies to the House after their journey to Palestine. Of course we all commend the work of all organisations, NGOs, governments and others who are assisting the people of Gaza on an ongoing basis. They are enduring tremendous hardship, particularly in the aftermath of the attacks that...

European Council Meetings (25 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: I respectfully suggest this is a supplementary question not contemplated by the questions tabled. It is unfair on other Deputies who stick to supplementaries that are relevant to the question for me to answer questions that are not within the purview of the questions tabled. It only encourages people to decide to ask whatever supplementaries they wish regardless of the question being...

European Council Meetings (25 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: The point I am making is that the money that was paid into Anglo Irish Bank, which was part of our deficit this year, will not be part of the figure next year. It was a payment to the bank for this year.

European Council Meetings (25 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: It was the Commission that insisted on the reclassification, so it understands the implication in terms of its addition to the current deficit figure. However, it also accepts that it is a non-recurring part of the deficit. It is a question of where it goes in the accounts. The underlying point is that we hope to reduce the deficit to 10.5% or 10.75% this year. Moving into next year, the...

Leaders' Questions (25 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy will know that on 8 March last, the Minister of State with responsibility for children and youth affairs announced the establishment of an independent review group on child deaths. The group presently comprises Ms Norah Gibbons and Mr. Geoffrey Shannon. It has been asked to examine existing information on all deaths of children in care over the past ten years. It will produce an...

Leaders' Questions (25 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: As I explained to Deputy Enda Kenny, on 10 March the Minister of State, having set up the review group on 8 March, wrote to the chairman of the HSE asking for a validated list of all deaths of children in State care in the past ten years which would be given to the review group for its consideration. The Minister sought that within two days of establishing the group.

Leaders' Questions (25 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: I am sorry, but for Deputy Olivia Mitchell's information, he set up the review group on 8 March 2010.

Leaders' Questions (25 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: The Minister of State immediately asked for a validated list-----

Leaders' Questions (25 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: -----to be forwarded to the review group so that it could deal with the matters he outlined to it. The HSE has advised the Minister of State that it will take it until the end of June to complete an accurate and consistent list of deaths of children in care in that respect. That is the information that is available to the Minister of State and its work is ongoing. I agree I would rather...

Leaders' Questions (25 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: The privacy of children in State care will continue to be protected in any proposed amendment to the legislation in question. The review group, whose members are respected professionals in this area, has been notified of these arrangements. We are proceeding along these lines to ensure the work gets done.

Leaders' Questions (25 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: It is not possible to give a direction which is contrary to the law. There are legal problems which need to be addressed. We want to ensure the review group's objective set out by the Minister of State, that is an independent report which would deal with the question of the deaths of children in care over the past ten years. It is not, however, possible, to give a direction if there are...

Leaders' Questions (25 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: That is not correct. I have just made the point three times to the Deputy that the Government this morning decided on whatever legislative changes are required. Legal issues are involved. It is not a question, as Deputy Gilmore is seeking to portray, of people thumbing their nose or whatever. There are legal issues involved in this question and they must be resolved. The Government...

Leaders' Questions (25 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: Whatever information is required by Mr. Shannon and Ms Gibbons to enable them to do their work will be undertaken as a matter of urgency. A Bill will be brought to Government, approved and brought into the House as soon as is practicable to enable that to happen in the coming weeks. Issues exist which must be resolved and they can be resolved once a legal basis is provided for interaction...

Leaders' Questions (25 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: I am making the point in defence of the Minister of State.

Leaders' Questions (25 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: The Minister of State is fully committed to providing the best possible practice. New arrangements have been in place since January of this year, which were needed. The Minister of State is reviewing the programme since the Children First guidelines came into being. He is seeking to have the report made available. He has involved some of the best and most respected people in this area in...

Leaders' Questions (25 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: On 8 March the Minister of State announced the fact that there was an independent review group being set up.

Leaders' Questions (25 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: The Minister of State has been committed to providing a better system of accountability in this area, to ensuring that we have the facts and he is arranging to obtain them with the experts he has appointed. We will do whatever is necessary in the House to provide the legal basis for that to happen. In the meantime, the HSE has indicated that it will validate the exact figures as soon as...

Leaders' Questions (25 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: It has indicated that it will do so by the end of June. This involves ensuring that we have an accurate and factual basis on which to hold that discussion. It is important to ensure this is the case. The Government is committed to full transparency in this situation.

Order of Business. (25 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: It is proposed to take No. 8, motion re referral to select committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the terms of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings; No. 9, motion re referral to select committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the terms of three interim economic partnership agreements; No. 10, technical motion re further Revised...

Order of Business. (25 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: We are asked to approve the terms of the interim agreements as soon as possible. All other member states have signed them and the European Community is anxious to implement them in order to ensure compliance with World Trade Organisation rulings.