Results 17,821-17,840 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Ministerial Staff (19 Oct 2010)

Brian Cowen: It is down to the officeholder to determine value and if he wants to retain an adviser. To do the job and to obtain advice independent of the Civil Service - while not denigrating the quality of Civil Service advice - and to complete the perspective, people in high office need to make the best possible decisions. It is a matter of opinion, it is not an exact science. We have in the system...

Office of Chief State Solicitor (19 Oct 2010)

Brian Cowen: As previously indicated in reply to similar questions on this matter, implementation of the recommendations of the Nally report was completed in 2007.

Office of Chief State Solicitor (19 Oct 2010)

Brian Cowen: It refers to the Chief State Solicitor's office, as outlined in the question.

Official Engagements (19 Oct 2010)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 to 16, inclusive, together. During the remainder of 2010 I intend to travel to meetings of the European Council in Brussels on 28 and 29 October, and 16 and 17 December; and to the British-Irish Council Summit in the Isle of Man on 13 December. I hope to visit China early in 2011, subject to the timing being settled by the Department of Foreign Affairs, in...

Official Engagements (19 Oct 2010)

Brian Cowen: The Finnish Prime Minister was accompanied by the education Minister from Finland, who had separate meetings with the Tánaiste. Perhaps a question to her directly would elicit the information the Deputy requires. It was not discussed specifically.

Official Engagements (19 Oct 2010)

Brian Cowen: As the European Commission has made clear, the drawing up of the four-year plan is a matter for the Government. It is our own decision. As members of the euro area, in terms of the normal arrangements that are in place, the European Commission is kept fully informed of developments and overall thinking in Ireland. There is interaction with the European Commission as an institution and...

Official Engagements (19 Oct 2010)

Brian Cowen: It is important to point out that it is the Irish authorities who are formulating these proposals. The International Monetary Fund people, the EU Commission and all the various international bodies such as the OECD and others have their own views of how world growth projections are likely to go, what the issues are and the various economic models they construct in order to proceed. The...

Official Engagements (19 Oct 2010)

Brian Cowen: That information is available by questioning the Department of Finance. It is not appropriate to have others substituting in the role Department of Finance officials play.

Official Engagements (19 Oct 2010)

Brian Cowen: They are the people devising our national policies. At a political level, perhaps, one might see if it were possible for the Commissioner concerned, for example, to come over and discuss issues in due course with the Opposition leaders. It might be of some help at that level but in terms of the ongoing technical exercise it is the Department of Finance, the Government in general and the...

Official Engagements (19 Oct 2010)

Brian Cowen: In answer to the Deputy's first question, I was making a point in reply to Deputy Kenny that, perhaps, it might be appropriate if senior officials, or a Commissioner even, might come to Dublin to discuss matters with Opposition leaders at a political level. That might be helpful. Contact with the Commission by national authorities relates to forecasting regarding the ongoing technical and...

Official Engagements (19 Oct 2010)

Brian Cowen: I have not got the outcomes of the meetings in September before me. Now that the Deputy mentions it, I will have to check whether the proposal to prepare the four-year plan had been agreed at that stage. I was just making the point that the issue did not arise at the Council. The only statement given by me in this regard was that Ireland was committed to its obligations under the Stability...

Official Engagements (19 Oct 2010)

Brian Cowen: I am sorry; what was the first part of the Deputy's question?

Official Engagements (19 Oct 2010)

Brian Cowen: The special meeting was called by the President of the European Council to discuss specific issues. More meetings of the European Council are taking place as a result of the Lisbon treaty, but not all of these have the full agenda of a normal Council meeting, of which there were traditionally two per year - one in the summer and one in December - plus another in the spring to deal with the...

Official Engagements (19 Oct 2010)

Brian Cowen: With respect to curbing their power, it is a question of the way to do that and the way to manage our own destiny. The way to effect economic control over our own country is to come forward with strategies and policies that show we are capable of funding those deficits, being able to repay our debt over time, and fostering growth in the economy. That is a difficult thing to achieve, but it...

Adjournment Debate Matters (19 Oct 2010)

Brian Cowen: I welcome the fact that Deputy Kenny's finance spokesperson availed of the briefing session yesterday. It is unfortunate that the tone and content of what he had to say today comes away from what has been a responsible approach that everyone has taken recognising the situation that Ireland, as a country, will face. I will not reciprocate in the same way, although I would have good reason to...

Adjournment Debate Matters (19 Oct 2010)

Brian Cowen: The consolidation in the public finances has been ongoing since the summer of 2008 when this issue first arose. I do not want to go over old ground because we need to look to the present and to the future but there has been a suggestion that the Government needs to begin a consolidation. The consolidation aspect of our policies - these policies did not win unanimous favour in the House - has...

Adjournment Debate Matters (19 Oct 2010)

Brian Cowen: I have to respond to that charge. We should move from rhetoric to reality.

Adjournment Debate Matters (19 Oct 2010)

Brian Cowen: The fundamental parameters of the budget for 2010, as set out by the Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Lenihan, in December 2009, are being broadly respected. Expenditures are in line and are underneath projected targets. Total taxation, while slightly down, is only down by 2% overall on the income tax side. We are seeing a deficit, for which we budgeted, of approximately 11.5% last year...

Adjournment Debate Matters (19 Oct 2010)

Brian Cowen: We should just deal with the facts. The decisions we took resulted in €4 billion being taken out of the economy last year - they were opposed by the Opposition - and have brought us from a position of contraction in the economy of more than 10% of GNP in 2009 to stabilisation this year of 0% and very little growth, if any. The whole purpose of further consolidation is to bring the public...

Adjournment Debate Matters (19 Oct 2010)

Brian Cowen: This has brought about a situation of stabilisation. We also have to contend with the increased costs in the banks. The Deputy asked about the figures. The establishment of the National Asset Management Agency enabled every loan to be valued and examined, loan by loan-----