Results 17,681-17,700 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen
- Departmental Expenditure (12 Oct 2010)
Brian Cowen: On the matter to which the Deputy referred, as I said it is the use of technology for the purposes of dealing with people who have been waiting for services which has eliminated 25% of the cost. It made a lot of difference to the people who got in much quicker as a result. I do not see why-----
- Departmental Expenditure (12 Oct 2010)
Brian Cowen: If other consultants took up the same practice, maybe they would reduce their fees by 25%. Bringing that to public attention is a good thing but it seems that the premise of the Deputy's questions is that the Government's entitlement to bring it to public attention should in some way-----
- Departmental Expenditure (12 Oct 2010)
Brian Cowen: I doubt it, Deputy, unfortunately.
- Departmental Expenditure (12 Oct 2010)
Brian Cowen: I apologise, Deputy. I do not think the number of hits on the Deputy's website-----
- Departmental Expenditure (12 Oct 2010)
Brian Cowen: I do not think the number of hits on the Deputy's website is quite as high.
- Departmental Expenditure (12 Oct 2010)
Brian Cowen: We are talking about hits, I suppose. The issue I am trying to get across is that these are good examples of good practice in the health services which need to be, and are being, brought to the attention of the public by whatever means necessary. I find it amazing that people would regard that sort of information as something in which the public are not interested. They are very interested...
- Departmental Expenditure (12 Oct 2010)
Brian Cowen: If the Deputy tabled a question to the Department of Education and Skills, he would get a full up-to-date response on what the ICT strategy is in terms of providing for public schools.
- Social Partnership (12 Oct 2010)
Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 11, inclusive, together. I met with representatives of IBEC and ICTU in July, when we discussed the budgetary situation and recent economic developments. In addition, there is ongoing engagement between each of the pillars of social partnership and officials in my Department on a range of issues. Indeed, I addressed the IBEC human resources leadership...
- Social Partnership (12 Oct 2010)
Brian Cowen: I cannot comment on whether any such funds mentioned by the Deputy were involved. As Deputy Kenny knows, the question is being looked at by the Committee of Public Accounts and when we have that outcome and that from the two relevant Departments and the HSE, when the facts and circumstances are known, there will be an opportunity for everyone to look at the situation based on the facts as...
- Social Partnership (12 Oct 2010)
Brian Cowen: If the Deputy puts down a question on it I can answer it with accuracy and certainty.
- Social Partnership (12 Oct 2010)
Brian Cowen: This is being driven by an implementation body which has arranged to obtain from the various Departments, agencies and offices action plans for the purposes of proceeding to implementation in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, significant work on the transformation programme is ongoing in all sectors and savings continue to be delivered against a background of falling numbers. I...
- Social Partnership (12 Oct 2010)
Brian Cowen: It is important to point out that the education situation, where the ASTI recently accepted the agreement and the TUI rejected it, involves having to deal with that issue. That is on of the reasons some of the aspects on education have been delayed. We will be insisting that the agreements we reach will be implemented but there has been an IR issue in the background which must be dealt...
- Social Partnership (12 Oct 2010)
Brian Cowen: With regard to the Deputy's first question, the ten-year agreement framework within which we operate social partnership continues to apply. Like all social partnership agreements, this process takes account of the budgetary situation as it develops. It is on the basis of maintaining and providing for stability and a good public finance position that these arrangements are entered into....
- Social Partnership (12 Oct 2010)
Brian Cowen: I do not have the date the last plenary session of the social partnership process was held. I will have to get that for the Deputy.
- Social Partnership (12 Oct 2010)
Brian Cowen: I thought so but I will have to check that. There have been meetings with the various social partners in various guises at different times but not all together. There have been a number of meetings. The last one with the business and employer pillar was on 19 July. The one with the trade union pillar was on 16 July. The one with the farming pillar was on 4 February. I met...
- Social Partnership (12 Oct 2010)
Brian Cowen: I do not accept that.
- Social Partnership (12 Oct 2010)
Brian Cowen: Obviously, I cannot discuss the budget with the Deputy. On the Croke Park agreement, those who support the agreement and are anxious to implement it are anxious to work on the basis of the agreement as are those who have supported it and had the benefits that derive from it. That is the position on that matter. On the Deputy's question on the issue of a social charge, the Minister indicated...
- Leaders' Questions (12 Oct 2010)
Brian Cowen: The letter was circulated by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in his capacity as leader of the Green Party. It is very important, from the point of view of that party and from the point of view of everyone else, to see if there is some way a form of general consensus might be arrived at. As the Deputy stated, there is consensus among the main political parties...
- Leaders' Questions (12 Oct 2010)
Brian Cowen: Any briefings will be provided by designated officials from the Department of Finance. There is no question of directions or anything else being given in respect of the advice that will be provided. The facts of the matter, as they are emerging, can be conveyed. The Deputy stated that Deputy Noonan will be meeting some officials tomorrow in order to discuss the means by which the relevant...
- Leaders' Questions (12 Oct 2010)
Brian Cowen: To answer the Deputy directly, the position in that regard is as follows. We made the point that on the basis of the briefings and analysis provided by the Department, if we can agree that this is the pitch upon which we are playing and those facts are the same for everybody, I have no objection to a meeting being held to confirm this is the position and to consider if it is possible for us...