Results 18,561-18,580 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Order of Business (23 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: I do not wish to engage in an issue. I am making the point that I would hope that the same courtesy would be shown to me from time to time. For whatever reason, a constant feature of the deputy leader's attendance at Leaders' Questions is to constantly interrupt.

Order of Business (23 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: No, I am sure Deputy Burton will be deputy leader for another good while.

Order of Business (23 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: On the question on the debate in the House, of course, the four-year plan should and must be discussed here in the House. The first instalment of that plan will be the budget and that will provide an opportunity for Deputies to vote on the plan because that will be the 2011 implementation of the plan. It is upon its implementation that it will have its effects. I look forward to a...

Order of Business (23 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: The four-year plan will set out as a confidence-building measure in respect of the strategy that this and successive Governments will have to make on the adjustment of more than €15 billion. People will be able to make their political choices, that have to be made on an annual budgetary basis, but the plan has to set out what the level of correction is and proceed from there. The votes...

Order of Business (23 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: With regard to the plan itself, from memory the arrangement for budgetary matters is that documents are given an hour in advance. I will have to check on the protocol for this. It is a question of making this type of arrangements. The plan will be launched in the normal way by the Government. We are not about to put forward a resolution to the House tomorrow for people to get...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (23 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: As a result of the report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure separate programme funding for the work of the Ireland Newfoundland Partnership and the Active Citizenship Office ceased in 2009. The separate Offices in these areas have been discontinued which has given rise to savings on my Department's Vote of approximately €308,000 per annum. The National Forum...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (23 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: The information requested in relation to the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO), which is the only agency under the remit of my Department is set out in the Table beneath. Year Name of Report/Review Cost 2009 The Euro Report â'¬6,000 2009 The Challenge of Community Participation in the Delivery of Public Services â'¬24,150 2009 The National Workplace Surveys...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (23 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: Since 2002 to date, my Department has not paid money to any registered charities.

Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: In respect of Deputy Kenny's remarks, I outlined the position yesterday regarding the timeline for the budget, which has been a matter of agreement between the Commissioner and the Minister for Finance. It is a timeline they obviously find to be acceptable and the Government now must proceed with the four-year plan that is being published today. It is not a question of there being further,...

Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: We must all be responsible in relation to this matter. To allay any fears, worries or concerns the public may have, I point out to the Deputy that our banking system is fully supported by the European Central Bank in respect of its funding. On the question of capital, we have seen capitalisation provided to the banks heretofore. The Deputy will also be aware that any increase in...

Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: I will respond to the second half of Deputy Kenny's question. The sustainability of our debt burden is an important part of how we proceed. I am confident that if we get an outcome we will be in a position to manage that situation. Again, that remains part of the negotiations and we need to await the outcome of those negotiations.

Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: We are in the midst of discussions with the partners regarding these matters. The discussions are not finalised. It would be wrong of me to pre-empt the outcome of those negotiations at this time, but I will be as helpful as I can in the circumstances, consistent with the right interests of the country and the negotiations as they stand. That is all I can do. With regard to the temporary...

Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: I am in no way seeking to avoid my responsibility to keep the public informed. The Deputy has acknowledged that there are ongoing negotiations and acknowledged this in respect of the interest rate and other matters. No decisions on bank restructuring have yet taken place. I am not holding back with regard to any issue. The Deputy may consider various scenarios. They have been discussed in...

Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: -----that he would kick it further down the road. We would not get the segregation of assets, we would not get the transparency, we would not get the cost of the distressed assets, and we would not have parked them somewhere else outside the banking system, enabling the banks in some way to try to get to the market on the basis of having the ability to fund themselves given the level of...

Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: It is precisely a bum steer. This is where Deputy Gilmore's policy falls apart. He does not have a banking policy that is supported by anybody. No guarantee at the time-----

Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: Shouting me down will not win the argument. Not putting in place a guarantee at the time would have resulted in the implosion of the economy and the closure of the banks within days, as confirmed in the Honohan report.

Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: That is what the report says. The Deputies should read it. The Labour Party revised its view in order to gain some respectability by stating it was only talking about subordinated debt, which it stated should not have been guaranteed on the basis that it constituted only 3% of the total volume. The view is that if one were not supposed to guarantee 3%, one should not have guaranteed 97%....

Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: All recapitalisation would have had to have been achieved by the taxpayer in that case. We are now told the Labour Party does not support the NAMA process, that it would keep the losses in the banking system, kick the matter down the road and get through it somehow, and that, hey presto, because Deputy Gilmore would be in charge, the banks would be repaired and all would be well.

Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: That is not a policy; that is what I would define as a bum steer considering the very difficult circumstances the country is in.

Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: That is the truth of the matter. We are building on policies that are being supported by those who are prepared to support the country now precisely because they believe the difficult initiatives we have taken were the right ones to take.