Results 21,841-21,860 of 36,764 for speaker:Enda Kenny

Cabinet Sub-Committees (8 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together. The Cabinet sub-committee on health had its first meeting on Wednesday, 5 October. It comprises me as chairman and the Minister for Health as convenor. The other members are the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, the...

Cabinet Sub-Committees (8 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: I did not form a Cabinet sub-committee on health in the beginning because we thought these matters might be assimilated into a smaller number of committees. That did not prove possible, however, and as a result of observations in the House, I formed a special committee on health. The sub-committee on health used to meet every quarter, but since the first meeting of the sub-committee, it...

Cabinet Sub-Committees (8 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: The purpose of the sub-committee is to provide, in line with the commitments contained in the programme for Government, a basis for political oversight of the development and delivery of key health service reforms. Everyone would like a situation to develop where those who require hospital treatment would be able to obtain it as close to home and as quickly as possible. Such treatment...

Cabinet Sub-Committees (8 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: I am glad that the matter relating to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick was resolved, not through confrontation but by the parties discussing the matter of the need to change rotas. I am extremely happy that the matter was resolved after it had been brought to the attention of the public and those involved in the political process. The third issue to which the Deputy referred...

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: That is the issue that was on the agenda and as a consequence Ireland is associated with the issues that affect us here. The Deputy made a number of assertions in his contribution about the comments made by the Minister for Finance and me, as did the absent Deputy Adams. We always said that not one cent more than what was already committed would go into Anglo Irish Bank. The Deputy...

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: Not one cent more is going in than what was already committed. I said this morning that it was not possible for us to rearrange this particular deal, which was done by the previous Government, without the consent of the ECB. I am going to quote something I think the Deputy should hear. It comes from the late, lamented Brian Lenihan, speaking in this House in November 2010 and it is about...

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: I spoke to Mr. Trichet about bondholders by telephone in March when he was in China. The ECB held a meeting. This matter was raised specifically and was very aggressively rejected. The Minister for Finance spoke to Mr. Trichet on several occasions-----

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: -----and the ECB rejected the issue. As it is not in the memorandum of understanding, we are still locked into the commitments that were entered into at the highest level by the Deputy's Government with our external partners. That is a fact.

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: The Deputy's assertions that this matter was not raised are patently false.

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: Before he took up his job with the ECB, Mr. Draghi already repeated that there would be no change in European Central Bank policy towards this matter. He also repeated that the European Central Bank would continue to buy where necessary and to whatever extent required to put the firewall facility of the EFSF in place. The Deputy seems to be asserting that I can dictate every item of the...

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: -----at the meeting. I contributed comprehensively to the discussions. I am not sure if anybody was reporting to him, but the Deputy was not there so he does not know.

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: The meeting was called to deal with the potential Greek catastrophe and arising from that-----

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: -----every other country raised issues relevant to their own need. The point I made on behalf of Ireland was that while the focus was not on Ireland, where they say we are proceeding with confidence, which we are, and that our reputation is in tact, which it is, people should still not lose sight of the fact that we still need assistance and encouragement. It is in those areas where we have...

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: The rationale of the ECB is that if we do not pay our way, we default and if we default, we have a real problem and we will cause a real problem. We do not want to go that route. Our mandate is to sort out the mess that we inherited and follow a programme and a pattern of growth. That is not easy to shift.

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: When we enter into commitments, we are expected to honour our commitments. That is part of the agreement worked out last Wednesday by the 27 member states and the 17 eurozone states. It is also relevant that the ECB has forked out €150 billion for Irish banks and that it continues to provide finance that pays nurses, gardaí, public servants and everybody else. It has also extended that...

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: For the information of Deputies, Prime Minister Papandreou wrote to me and said in the course of his letter: As you are aware, the domestic, political and social situation in Greece is particularly tense and critical. The Greek Government considers these decisions of historical importance for the country and the Greek people. However, all opposition parties are absolutely and intensely...

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: The Deputy raised two questions about what might happen if we did not pay this. It is a valid question.

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: A number of options would be open to the ECB if Ireland were to refuse to pay the bond in question. It could, for instance, increase the interest rate, which would result in substantial difficulty for this country. It could lend at a higher rate than 1.5% to banks that it felt were overly dependent on central banks, and that would have an absolutely devastating impact on Irish banks and on...

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: We have made a clear set of decisions and we intend to follow that through. Greece, on the other hand, faces ten to 15 years of austerity programmes, as Prime Minister Papandreou has outlined for me here. We certainly do not want to see that in our country for our people. We want to follow a growth pattern in which we get the 440,000 who are on the live register back to work and enable...

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: Obviously-----