Results 17,221-17,240 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Leaders' Questions. (30 Jun 2010)

Brian Cowen: That is what we intend to do; that is how we intend to work with the services. In the meantime, we have to try to address the difficulties that arise in the context of the budget. Against the background of last year's budget, an extra €20 million-----

Leaders' Questions. (30 Jun 2010)

Brian Cowen: -----over the 2009 spend was provided for disability services. In total it is in the order of €1.6 billion. I recall when I announced in this House a five year programme for the development of disability services what the initial baseline figure was. That aside, it does not take away from the fact that issues arise today that we want to try to resolve but they can only be resolved if we...

Leaders' Questions. (30 Jun 2010)

Brian Cowen: To suggest it would be resolved otherwise, simply by providing for more expenditure regardless of the budget situation, is not being honest or straightforward with the people with whom we want to engage on this issue.

Leaders' Questions. (30 Jun 2010)

Brian Cowen: The figure is expected to be 13.4%, up from the May figure of 13.2%. Due to seasonal factors, the live register rises every June without exception. The increase this year is considerably less than the increase in June last year of more than 21,000. Based on seasonally adjusted figures from the Department of Social Protection, the increase in June is expected to be approximately 5,800. The...

Leaders' Questions. (30 Jun 2010)

Brian Cowen: This is the issue with which we are dealing on an ongoing and daily basis and the only way in which we can create more jobs is to make our economy more competitive. We have had this discussion on a number of occasions. Jobs will not be created in a vacuum and will not be created on the basis of letting our public finances go out of control. They certainly will not be created by the...

Departmental Expenditure (30 Jun 2010)

Brian Cowen: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together. Under the terms of an initiative introduced by the Department of Finance in August 2001, my Department pays the salary of secretarial assistants employed by former taoisigh up to the maximum of the higher executive officer standard scale. The initiative provides that a former Taoiseach may employ two secretarial assistants for a...

Departmental Expenditure (30 Jun 2010)

Brian Cowen: I note that Deputy Ó Caoláin's questions concerned the allowances paid to former taoisigh. This gives the impression, repeated in his supplementary question, that the money is allocated to individual officeholders and subsequently dispensed. These sums are the wages paid directly to the secretarial assistants employed by former taoisigh. The money is not given to former taoisigh; it pays...

Departmental Expenditure (30 Jun 2010)

Brian Cowen: I emphasised in my earlier reply that these are not the allowances the Deputy suggested in his question for obvious reasons. They are payments to secretaries who work. All areas of expenditure are, of course, kept under review. However, previous incumbents of the office who have utilised the scheme have not done so on the basis of a full-time secretarial assistant every year. The Deputy...

Departmental Expenditure (30 Jun 2010)

Brian Cowen: The secretarial assistants are included on my Department's payroll as an administrative convenience but it is not their employer. The scheme is as I have outlined it and all these matters will be kept under review. The provision of cars to former taoisigh is a security matter as far as I am concerned and, as Deputy Kenny noted, gardaí or security drivers look after that, which is as it...

Departmental Expenditure (30 Jun 2010)

Brian Cowen: The contracts of employment are drawn up with the individuals concerned and are not part of the public service complement. As I explained in a previous response, they are on the payroll of my Department for administrative convenience but they are not departmental employees. The Deputy should be under no illusion, however, because I do not expect any changes in the foreseeable future.

Constitutional Amendments (30 Jun 2010)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 to 6, inclusive, together. The renewed programme for Government envisages the following potential referenda during the lifetime of the current Dáil, subject, of course, to appropriate Oireachtas approval: to consider children's rights, based on the work of the Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children; to consider amending Article 41.2 of...

Constitutional Amendments (30 Jun 2010)

Brian Cowen: The senior officials group has met twice on these matters and has almost completed its work. A range of implications have been identified by the Office of the Attorney General and Departments. It is incorrect to assume that the proposed wording should go straight to the people, as is, and there are no implications or there is nothing for the Government to do. The Government must check out...

Constitutional Amendments (30 Jun 2010)

Brian Cowen: Very much so.

Constitutional Amendments (30 Jun 2010)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy accepts that.

Constitutional Amendments (30 Jun 2010)

Brian Cowen: I assure the Deputy that I am as anxious to fulfil my job in this process as he is, as a member of the committee. If it being suggested that when the committee brings forward a wording, the Government should step aside and we should get on with the referendum, that is not the process. The Government has to work out what are the implications of the referendum and what unintended consequences...

Constitutional Amendments (30 Jun 2010)

Brian Cowen: This is one of the issues we are dealing with and which we would like to bring forward, obviously during the course of this Dáil, but the work needs to be done. All parties were represented on the all-party committee. Is it suggested that, as the Fianna Fáil party is represented on every committee in the House, when that party comes forward with proposals the Government must accept them...

Constitutional Amendments (30 Jun 2010)

Brian Cowen: Yes, but the idea was to try to find consensus. A consensus emerged that was different, if one likes, from what we had in 2007, which is why the committee was set up. What are the implications of the consensus wording that has come forward? What are the sectoral implications for education, health or any area involving children's rights? What is the nature of the interventions that are...

Constitutional Amendments (30 Jun 2010)

Brian Cowen: At last night's meeting I made the point that the question of financial resources should be checked because the issues that arise are quite considerable. If one were to look at what areas identified initially would require new legislation, it is not an exhaustive list. Legislation on adoption would need to be published in advance of a referendum so that there would be a detailed...

Constitutional Amendments (30 Jun 2010)

Brian Cowen: We are in the throes of discussions. The scope and content of what we are discussing is of far wider implication than simply what one would expect just reading the report. When one gets into it, this is an area that is becoming very complex and not easily resolved. When we become clearer as a result of the work that is ongoing, we can come back and discuss it more cogently based on a clear...

Constitutional Amendments (30 Jun 2010)

Brian Cowen: I am not playing politics like that with the issue at all.