Results 18,701-18,720 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Leaders' Questions (30 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: When Derek McDowell was the Labour Party spokesperson on finance he said that €5 million or €6 million of it should be used to purchase building land-----

Leaders' Questions (30 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: -----and other spokespersons from the Labour Party said in 2002 that the fund was a waste of money and that the money should be spent on infrastructure. The Labour Party was at no time a supporter of the fund.

Leaders' Questions (30 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: In fact, in 2002, when Deputy Quinn was leader, it argued that the money should be spent, which would have inflated the economy further.

Leaders' Questions (30 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: The agreement is not a international agreement as outlined in that article. The agreement is of the type referenced in Article 29.4 - Deputy Gilmore could have read that one out, but he did not - which deals with the question of exercising executive power in external relations pursuant to that article. The agreement makes available a facility for money which, in terms of financing and...

Leaders' Questions (30 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: -----on international money markets. Such bond issuances do not require the approval of the Dáil because they are not the type of agreement mentioned in Article 29.5.2°, which the Deputy read out.

Leaders' Questions (30 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: However, let us leave aside that for the moment. Deputy Gilmore has not responded to any of the facts I mentioned with regard to the assertions he made.

Leaders' Questions (30 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: What I have been doing, since taking office and since this crisis emerged, is to take every step possible, in the national interest, to secure our future and allow this country to move forward again.

Leaders' Questions (30 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: I have been opposed at every turn by the Deputy, which is fair enough; that is his democratic entitlement. However, he should not suggest that the policy initiatives his party suggested were correct, when everyone in Europe is saying precisely the opposite.

Leaders' Questions (30 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: They have said we must build on and accelerate the initiatives we have made to solve the problems in the banking system, and the Governor of the Central Bank, who is far more of an expert in this area than the Deputy or me, has confirmed that is what we must do to bring financial stability to the State. The Deputy also attempted to make a broader political point, which was that he would have...

Leaders' Questions (30 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: It does not exist.

Leaders' Questions (30 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: The Government, over the past couple of weeks, has sought in every possible way to make sure the parameters of the discussion and the ultimate deal were consistent with our own interests in terms of the adjustments we would have had to make even if we had never had a banking crisis. Even if we did not have a banking crisis, these are adjustments we would have had to make. Second, and very...

Leaders' Questions (30 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: Regarding the National Pensions Reserve Fund, Deputy Gilmore cannot get away from the fact that the idea of the Labour Party coming forward as the guardian of the fund is at total variance with every public policy position he has outlined since the legislation was brought forward in 2000.

Leaders' Questions (30 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: The debate that will ensue today and tomorrow will put it on the record.

Introduction of New Member (30 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: Ba mhaith liom comhghairdeas a ghabháíl le Piaras Ó Dochartaigh ar bheith tofa mar Teachta Dála do Dhún na nGall Thiar Theas sa toghchán a bhí againn an tseachtain seo caite. Is lá bródúil é an lá inniu dó féín agus dá chlann agus ba mhaith liom mo chomhghairdeas a ghabháil leis. I congratulate Pearse Doherty on his election as a Deputy in the by-election in Donegal...

Order of Business (30 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: It is proposed to take No. 5, motion re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the agreement between the European Union and the United States of America on the processing and transfer of financial messaging data from the European Union to the United States for the purposes of the terrorist finance tracking programme, back from committee; No. a15, statements on the EU-IMF programme for Ireland...

Order of Business (30 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: This agreement is in compliance with our Constitution. Draw-down facilities are available on an ongoing basis. These specific facilities are being provided at rates which are far less than the normal source of that funding, which is the international money markets. From the point of view of the country's stability, it is important that we avail of these funds. To those who criticised it, I...

Order of Business (30 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: The scope of the application of the agreement is limited explicitly to the purpose of prevention, investigation, protection and prosecution of terrorism or terrorist financing. I cannot understand why anyone would be opposed to that.

Order of Business (30 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: My response has set out that this matter is totally within the exercise of executive power and external relations pursuant to Article 29.4 of the constitution rather than Article 29.5 and Article 29.6, to which Deputy Gilmore referred earlier. Now that Deputy Ó Caoláin has come round to recognising the legitimacy of the State, I would have thought he would also recognise the legitimacy of...

Order of Business (30 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: On the question of the bank reorganisation that is envisaged as a result of the discussions that took place, banking legislation will come to the House the week after the budget. We will need co-operation on it because it is important that it is brought forward. On the more general question regarding the building industry and the role NAMA has played, there is a further proposal that land...

Order of Business (30 Nov 2010)

Brian Cowen: I am not aware that is the case. As I said, I am not au fait with the precise comments to which the Deputy referred, but these are matters that could be addressed to the Minister himself.