Results 2,081-2,100 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

EU Summits (7 Jul 2010)

Brian Cowen: It is just a reminder.

EU Summits (7 Jul 2010)

Brian Cowen: Yes, I also remember that the Deputy was a member of a Government that, even with the surplus, decided that 30 bob was enough for an old age pensioner. I also recall that with the surplus it decided that €1 million was sufficient for emergency disability services. I have heard all the political rhetoric and hypocrisy that passes for current political dialogue as a result of the present...

EU Summits (7 Jul 2010)

Brian Cowen: That is what the Deputy voted for. Is is not hard to take it?

EU Summits (7 Jul 2010)

Brian Cowen: It was the Deputy's socialist philosophy then to give 30 bob to an old age pensioner with a surplus.

EU Summits (7 Jul 2010)

Brian Cowen: As I have explained, detailed budgetary decisions at a national level are not required to be provided in March of the previous year. That is a misunderstanding of the situation. The role of the Eurogroup and ECOFIN generally is to improve monitoring and surveillance of broad economic policies. Broad economic guidelines are set out, there are requirements under the Stability and Growth Pact...

EU Summits (7 Jul 2010)

Brian Cowen: The advocation, as we heard earlier, of the status quo plus is not an option of any Government in this country for the foreseeable future. We require transformation agreements and they has been agreed in the public service agreement we have negotiated with trade unions across a range of sectors, including for health and disability services. The fiction being portrayed by Opposition party...

EU Summits (7 Jul 2010)

Brian Cowen: I have just explained the Deputy's advocation of status quo plus is not an option.

EU Summits (7 Jul 2010)

Brian Cowen: The standing ovation has not gone to my head. I have made this point frequently. The fact that the Deputy does not have the responsibility to deliver the service enables him to have the luxury of talking out of both sides of his mouth every day of the week and getting away with it.

EU Summits (7 Jul 2010)

Brian Cowen: I get it from the advocacy of the Deputy's argument,-----

EU Summits (7 Jul 2010)

Brian Cowen: -----which suggests that he wants to maintain services and do this, that and the other-----

EU Summits (7 Jul 2010)

Brian Cowen: -----but he will find out in due course that it is not possible.

EU Summits (7 Jul 2010)

Brian Cowen: No, I am not making it up.

EU Summits (7 Jul 2010)

Brian Cowen: I am obviously getting under the Deputy's skin-----

EU Summits (7 Jul 2010)

Brian Cowen: He can give it but he cannot take it. That is his problem.

EU Summits (7 Jul 2010)

Brian Cowen: As regards Ard-Fheis speeches, I heard the Deputy's speech and I know all about the suggestions he has been making regarding those areas. He got his kick and his bounce out of it, and the best of luck to him. Regarding the realities we must deal with, which is a different question, and the issue that arises with the budgetary situation, the Deputy suggests that we should prolong the time....

EU Summits (7 Jul 2010)

Brian Cowen: How long does the Deputy think it is sustainable to be spending €50 billion with an income of €32 billion? How long does he think one can maintain that and expect to be funded at a time when markets are so volatile? If we do not make these changes now, what is the level of adjustment that will have to be made eventually to find a sustainable position? Those are the real questions and...

EU Summits (7 Jul 2010)

Brian Cowen: This is a strategy for from now to 2020. Obviously, all these targets are issues for governments to pursue over that period. There are different requirements, priorities and levels of adjustment required to meet those targets in various countries. This country has made a great deal of progress on these targets as a result of our successive social partnership programmes over many years....

EU Summits (7 Jul 2010)

Brian Cowen: I have explained in previous replies to Deputies that this is not simply about Exchequer-funded money; this about bringing forward a fund to increase interest from venture capital companies in start-up companies in Ireland and perhaps also enticing companies that might otherwise set up in Europe to look at Ireland as a good location for start-up and development of businesses. Much work has...

EU Summits (7 Jul 2010)

Brian Cowen: The context for this debate on the broad economic policy or direction of Europe is to do with making Europe, as a regional economy, far more competitive than it is today. The potential growth rates in Europe, as things currently stand, are less than will be anticipated in other regions of the world with which we are competing. The question of competitiveness and how we build the prospect...

EU Summits (7 Jul 2010)

Brian Cowen: Consumer demand is an important factor in growth rates and the potential to return growth to depressed economies. I take that point. In our country, with a relatively small domestic consumer market, export-led growth is of far greater importance than to larger countries with a domestic consumer market where domestic spending is a bigger factor in recovery. With 50% of our exports to the US...