Results 24,141-24,160 of 36,764 for speaker:Enda Kenny

Official Engagements (11 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 7, inclusive, together. I met with Chancellor Merkel and President Sarkozy at the meeting of the European Council on 24 - 25 March, and at the meetings of the heads of state and government of the eurozone and the Extraordinary European Council on 11 March. The Europe 2020 strategy has been adopted as a successor to the Lisbon strategy for jobs and growth...

Official Engagements (11 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: Much of this is overplayed from other quarters. I never made any overspin of this kind. As I stated in my reply, I met both the Chancellor and the President at that meeting. We have not made any arrangements for bilateral discussions to follow. As the Deputy is aware, the Ministers for Finance continue to discuss and negotiate matters relevant to the IMF-EU bailout, as per the agreed...

Official Engagements (11 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: The Deputy can take it that the Tánaiste has a particular interest in seeing that the Middle East situation, in so far as Israel and Palestine is concerned, becomes more the focus of concentration of the European Union. When I was on the other side of the House I brought several of my Deputies out to Israel and Gaza and I found the trip a revelation in many respects. I had a long...

Official Engagements (11 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: It is a part of the programme set out for the Union. I mentioned the five headline areas of employment, research and development, climate change, education and poverty. In so far as the strategy is concerned, the programme for Government sets out the fact that the Government is fully committed to the 2020 strategy and the creation of employment in smart, sustainable and inclusive growth....

Official Engagements (11 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: When I went to see Chancellor Merkel in the course of the general election campaign the Deputy said it was a photo opportunity.

Official Engagements (11 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: We held an important bilateral discussion about the issues of Europe.

Official Engagements (11 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: I do not share the Deputy's view. While it might be regular to call back European Union ambassadors, non-EU ambassadors and our own ambassadors, it is important to be able to say and to remind them that a new Government is in charge with a new sense of priorities, a renewed enthusiasm and decisiveness to sort out the country's problems. It is important for them to get the message out...

Official Engagements (11 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: Unfortunately, we had evidence of Ministers not turning up at meetings in Brussels, departing quickly and not doing their job in the interests of the country as one would assume. It is important to set out clearly the changed situations in the context of the diplomatic interaction or onslaught and to express to those people that we are serious in our resolve to deal with our country's...

Official Engagements (11 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: I have not decided on any individual trade delegation but I have had requests in respect of a visit to China. I understand the Deputy was there as Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Official Engagements (11 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: This is an important element of Ireland's capacity to export. The Tánaiste, in his capacity as Minister for Foreign Affairs and trade promotion, will do this. I have no fixed dates for any trade delegations but this will come into the reckoning before long and I will provide the Deputy with an update on them as they happen. As the Deputy is aware, one cannot simply say any trade...

Official Engagements (11 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: For the Deputy's information, I had a meeting with Prime Minister Papandreou before the meeting in Brussels where he sought support for an interest rate reduction and the difficulties faced by his country. I also met with then Prime Minister Socrates in respect of the difficulties in Portugal. Obviously these countries have problems that are different from ours. We have a strategy in place...

Official Engagements (11 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: I propose to take Question Nos. 8 to 10, inclusive, together. Supporting enterprise and providing a favourable climate for business start-ups and growth are key elements of the Government's strategy for supporting enterprise and growing employment. The jobs initiative announced yesterday contained a number of measures to assist enterprises in creating and retaining jobs. As Head of...

Leaders' Questions (11 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: There is no secrecy about this initiative. I made it perfectly clear that it was a top priority of the Government to focus on creating jobs, getting people back to work and developing our economy. The Deputy is not interested in a Punch and Judy show and neither am I. In his statement yesterday, the Minister for Finance set out the details of this initiative and what it could mean in terms...

Leaders' Questions (11 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: The committees of the Oireachtas will probably be set up next week. They will provide an opportunity, as well as that provided in the House, for full debate on these matters. If there is any outstanding information the Deputy seeks, it will be provided to him, because there is not anything secret here. It was the declared intention of the Government to introduce this initiative, which will...

Leaders' Questions (11 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: The initiative announced yesterday is what it says - an initiative to stimulate investment and job creation in our economy. I make no bones about saying how this is being funded, nor did I yesterday. As the Deputy is aware, pension funds have been the subject of massive tax concessions which have allowed them to be built up over the years. This is not a tax on any individual pension; it is...

Leaders' Questions (11 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: The Government has a mandate for this pension levy, because it was published as part of our programme.

Leaders' Questions (11 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: The advice is political judgment.

Leaders' Questions (11 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: We could sit here and whinge and complain and wring our hands in desperation-----

Leaders' Questions (11 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: -----that nothing could be done about this. We have taken a very modest measure-----

Leaders' Questions (11 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: -----to over four years inject funds into an area where we feel it is needed. For the first time from a Government it is an expression of joined-up thinking about how to get our country moving.