Results 19,181-19,200 of 36,764 for speaker:Enda Kenny

European Council Meeting: Statements (24 Oct 2012)

Enda Kenny: You said it would be easily restructured.

European Council Meeting: Statements (24 Oct 2012)

Enda Kenny: I will take a question or two. I have to meet some people but I said I would be here for it, if Deputy Martin wants to ask a question.

European Council Meeting: Statements (24 Oct 2012)

Enda Kenny: The Minister and the officials from the Department of Finance are involved in detailed discussions with the ECB about the promissory note. There are a range of issues on which they have been working and they are progressing those discussions with the ECB. The question of debt sustainability is always difficult. We have made the case clearly to the European Council. It has been accepted...

European Council Meeting: Statements (24 Oct 2012)

Enda Kenny: I believe Deputy Martin's party could have taken a different route in dealing with the issues. However, that is history and there is now a €64 billion imposition on the Irish people. The decision of the Council in June was to break the link between sovereign and bank debt. Everybody is clear on that. The decision of last Thursday and Friday was to put flesh on that by saying that we...

European Council Meeting: Statements (24 Oct 2012)

Enda Kenny: The mandate given to the Finance Ministers and the Eurogroup is to go through the process by which that will happen and then to set down the conditions that will apply. The ECB, as a central supervisory authority here, will have to do a mountain of work in terms of systems, personnel and all of the questions that need to be asked and answered about the process and how it will actually work....

European Council Meeting: Statements (24 Oct 2012)

Enda Kenny: That is part of a whole range of areas that are under discussion. The promissory note issue is being pursued very diligently with the ECB and the possibilities that exist there are all being discussed.

European Council Meeting: Statements (24 Oct 2012)

Enda Kenny: The reason Ireland is a special case and is recognised as such is that our banks have been recapitalised. Therefore, the assistance to be given is of a different nature from that for other countries which have not yet sought assistance. The fact is that the communiqué issued by myself and the German Chancellor recognises our unique circumstances and against that background, the special...

Prospects for Irish Economy: Statements (Resumed) (24 Oct 2012)

Enda Kenny: Six weeks from today the Minister for Finance will deliver his second budget to Dáil Éireann. He delivered budget 2012 only nine months after the Government had inherited a disastrous situation, with the economy in freefall and riddled with numerous systemic problems. Before we entered office, there was no clear path towards recovery and the leadership to deliver such a recovery...

Prospects for Irish Economy: Statements (Resumed) (24 Oct 2012)

Enda Kenny: The 2013 action plan for jobs will see us redouble our efforts to ensure that every Minister, Department and agency will make the creation of the necessary conditions for employment the number one priority. Access to finance is a critical issue for small businesses. Last week we launched the credit guarantee scheme which will facilitate lending to viable firms on the margins of commercial...

Leaders' Questions (6 Nov 2012)

Enda Kenny: It goes without saying that the House stands united in condemnation of the callous murder of David Black. I made the point at the North-South Ministerial Council meeting the other day, in the company of the Tánaiste and the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister of the Northern Ireland Assembly, that Yvonne Black had lost a husband, her children Kyle and Kyra had lost their father...

Leaders' Questions (6 Nov 2012)

Enda Kenny: It goes without saying that the national paediatric hospital will not be built and opened in 2014 or 2015. Clearly, right through to the end of 2016, the Government will provide Exchequer funding, as has always been the case for facilities and medical personnel to provide care and attention to children who must avail of the facilities at the children's hospitals. That goes without saying....

Leaders' Questions (6 Nov 2012)

Enda Kenny: First, in response to the Deputy's comment about the prison officer David Black, and in respect of the comment made by Deputy Kelleher, I have already responded publicly. I was beside the Deputy First Minister when he made his comments in Armagh unreservedly condemning the murder of David Black. He also made the point that the coming together of different elements of so-called dissidents...

Leaders' Questions (6 Nov 2012)

Enda Kenny: The Deputy is talking about two different things. A pension is a pension but a bonus is a bonus. What was raised in the House on many occasions was dealing with very high bonus payments. Pensions are treated differently and are in a different position legally. I have heard comments about the power of shareholders, under section 50 of the Pensions Act, to impose reductions on pensions....

Leaders' Questions (6 Nov 2012)

Enda Kenny: The individual shareholder cannot apply for a section 50 reduction. The section permits a pension board, following an application by trustees, to direct those trustees to reduce benefits, if they are subject to active and deferred scheme members or pensioners currently in receipt of a pension. Fairness is clearly an issue and it must be reflected in the budget, in so far as the Government...

Leaders' Questions (6 Nov 2012)

Enda Kenny: It has, and the appointment of the chief executive of AIB was in line with that. I hear all the wonderful words being said by some people, but they allowed this to happen under their watch. Things are different now. I consider a pension of €500,000 to be truly extraordinary. There is a moral responsibility on individuals to deal with that. As I said, the chief executive has written...

Leaders' Questions (6 Nov 2012)

Enda Kenny: I have pointed out to Deputy Adams the reflections regarding the bank's capacity to meet its pensions. That is why the €1.1 billion was transferred, to deal with the 2,500 people taking early retirement or voluntary redundancy. I do not expect the Government to follow that if there was a requirement for a second transfer of additional funds to deal with pension deficits that may arise...

Leaders' Questions (6 Nov 2012)

Enda Kenny: The appointments made by this Government are within the cap, as outlined by the Minister for Finance. The chief executive of AIB is under the cap of €500,000 and remuneration of the Irish Life & Permanent chief executive is also in line with the cap. It is not open to the Minister to change contractual arrangements arrived at by a previous Administration. Deputy Shane Ross is...

Leaders' Questions (6 Nov 2012)

Enda Kenny: Deputy Ross asked an interesting question about the role and responsibilities of the public interest directors. I have not met the public interest directors but recently in the Dáil I referred to my intention to look at the remit of the Cabinet sub-committee dealing with mortgage arrears and to expand it into banking in general.

Leaders' Questions (6 Nov 2012)

Enda Kenny: Clearly a number of banking decisions must be made in the time ahead. It may be possible to see what the relationship between public interest directors and their role in respect of public interest can be in terms of communicating their views on what is happening at the boards of banks and to hear directly from the representatives of the people on the situation. The appointments made by...

Leaders' Questions (6 Nov 2012)

Enda Kenny: There is a moral responsibility on those who allegedly receive extraordinarily high levels of pension to do something about it. I hope they do.