Results 18,901-18,920 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen
- Leaders' Questions (8 Dec 2010)
Brian Cowen: Deputy Kenny says he will not increase tax next year. What sort of a Government would we have if we were sitting down for a budget debate? Is he talking about this Government? We would have a Government without cohesion, coherence or policies.
- Leaders' Questions (8 Dec 2010)
Brian Cowen: Behind all the populist talk and all the nice headlines I am sure the Opposition will get by making superficially attractive contrasts, the fact is that Deputies Kenny and Gilmore do not have a policy position that adds up. By next July the country would not be able to access funds to pay 1 cent in social welfare payments after that date if we had the likes of the Deputies in power. That is...
- Leaders' Questions (8 Dec 2010)
Brian Cowen: The more people talk about the real issues, the more they will see who is prepared to take decisions to ensure the country has sufficient funds to look after the most vulnerable. Perhaps people will listen to them rather that the incoherent nonsense I have been hearing this morning.
- Leaders' Questions (8 Dec 2010)
Brian Cowen: I understand copies have been placed in Members' pigeon holes.
- Financial Resolution No. 34: General (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)
Brian Cowen: This budget is being introduced at a time of great uncertainty across the economies of the developed world. We are living through an economic crisis with few parallels which is impacting in new and unpredictable ways on people, businesses and entire countries. Ireland has been affected more than most, partly because our economy is so dependent on international trade and investment and...
- Financial Resolution No. 34: General (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)
Brian Cowen: It must be clearly understood that if we are to be in a position to borrow to maintain our public services, State pensions, unemployment benefits, schools and hospitals and pay those who work in them, we must adhere strictly to the agreed parameters of the national recovery plan we have drawn up and agreed with the European Union, ECB and IMF. The plan is the sole basis for drawing down the...
- Financial Resolution No. 34: General (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)
Brian Cowen: A priority for this Government is to protect the most vulnerable in our society, while ensuring that those of us who can afford to carry the heaviest burden do so. An additional â¬10 million has been provided for the disability sector. We have also prioritised the free pre-school education programme. We have not reduced the contributory old age pension in order that those in our elderly...
- Financial Resolution No. 34: General (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)
Brian Cowen: "So what?" somebody says. One would be talking about a cut of approximately â¬11 per week on jobseekers' payments instead of the proposed â¬8 per week, which would involve a â¬19 cut for a couple. Where else in the social welfare budget, over and above what we have done, would the Opposition make these cuts? The Government, in a hugely challenging budgetary environment, has done its...
- Financial Resolution No. 34: General (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)
Brian Cowen: Rightly so. We did it, and I am proud of the things we did during those years.
- Financial Resolution No. 34: General (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)
Brian Cowen: I am proud of the fact that in regard to education in the disability sector we spent â¬1 billion of an â¬8 billion budget in mainstreaming people with disability into our education system. While some say I should be ashamed, I am proud of all of those progressive social policies. The situation, and what we need to say to the public, is this - despite the economic tsunami that hit this...
- Financial Resolution No. 34: General (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)
Brian Cowen: That is simply an incredible position to take 12 hours after one of the most important budgets in the history of the State being brought into this House and, thankfully, passed as a result of the democratic process here last night. The levels of income support provided by the State to those on welfare are still among the highest in Europe, of which we are all proud. People who live in Border...
- Financial Resolution No. 34: General (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)
Brian Cowen: Let us have our differences but let us not get into a stupid debate or descend into the foolishness of suggesting there is an alternative Government available to this country in the months ahead that will neither increase tax nor cut welfare during the course of the coming year. It is patent nonsense and it needs to be seen for what it is. As Taoiseach, I am deeply conscious that the...
- Financial Resolution No. 34: General (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)
Brian Cowen: If the Deputy wants to be patronising about it, that is his problem. The facts are that these decisions were taken by Government at a time of great economic difficulty.
- Financial Resolution No. 34: General (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)
Brian Cowen: Everybody recognises we have to provide as much support as we can. I looked at some of the proposals from other parties in regard to this matter in their pre-budget submissions, and they are broadly in the same territory both in terms of scale and objective. We are extending the employer job incentive scheme to the end of 2011 and transforming the business expansion scheme to incentivise...
- Financial Resolution No. 34: General (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)
Brian Cowen: Total expenditure on capital programmes through commercial semi-State investment and the public investment programme will be â¬6.5 billion next year.
- Financial Resolution No. 34: General (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)
Brian Cowen: That should not be regarded as something just to be sniffed at. It is important work building on all the investments we have made in the past. Unprecedented capital investment has changed the face of and transformed this country, much for the better.
- Financial Resolution No. 34: General (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)
Brian Cowen: If the capacity was such, it happened in the private sector.
- Financial Resolution No. 34: General (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)
Brian Cowen: Taxpayers' money was invested in schools in the Deputy's constituency and he has been trying to take credit for this for the past ten years. Taxpayers' money ensured serious investments were made. Why can the Deputy not simply acknowledge that and move on to the debate about the future?
- Financial Resolution No. 34: General (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)
Brian Cowen: The Deputy's problem is that he is not able to move on because he does not have a policy framework that stands up.
- Financial Resolution No. 34: General (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)
Brian Cowen: I do not know whether the finance spokesperson heard his leader this morning.