Results 2,881-2,900 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Order of Business (5 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: One of my favourite ones.

Order of Business (5 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: I understand that will be next year at the earliest. All I can say to the Deputy is that the whole idea of bringing forward a listing process at the beginning of every session is to give an indication of what is likely to appear during the course of this session. People will know from replies to parliamentary questions or, indeed, repeated statements by myself that confirm what has been...

Order of Business (5 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: I understand both those pieces of legislation are later this year.

Order of Business (5 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: There is no date for the eligibility legislation. None is promised in the other area.

Leaders' Questions (5 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: Deputy Gilmore seeks to lecture us again on how we view the situation. I do not regard it as a matter of political patronage. I am elected here on the same basis as the Deputy, perhaps for even longer. To be lectured on those issues is not something I have to consider from him. With regard to the business the Dáil is conducting, the Government has, uniquely in this House, shown the...

Task Force on Innovation (5 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together. I appointed the innovation task force on 29 June 2009 to advise the Government on its strategy for positioning Ireland as an international innovation development hub and to assist in making the smart economy a reality. I very much welcome the report, which was launched on 11 March last and provides a roadmap for one of the five action areas...

Task Force on Innovation (5 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: The task force report made certain proposals and it has outlined what it believes could be the potential of the report in terms of job creation over the longer term. It is not suggesting that this would be done overnight but it talks about change. There will be issues for IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland to work through. There will also be issues for the Department of Enterprise, Trade...

Task Force on Innovation (5 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: The whole purpose of the group which will be working on this is to monitor the implementation of these recommendations with the various Departments and agencies, and that this is in the process of being set up. The net job creation in high-tech firms of the order of 117,000 jobs to which the report refers is to happen between now and 2020. The report believes the implementation of the...

Task Force on Innovation (5 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: As the Deputy stated, the report only issued last month. It sets out various short, medium and long term initiatives which it advises should be progressed in that manner. We are in the process of ensuring that Departments take up recommendations which apply to them and incorporate them into their plans for this and future years. Also, there have been rearrangements in regard to...

Task Force on Innovation (5 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: It is being set up. It is being finalised.

Task Force on Innovation (5 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: We are already involved in setting up the process by which implementation is taking place. Increasing our competitiveness by reducing costs, stabilising the public finances and preparing for global recovery are not enough to ensure we return to economic growth. Increasing productivity and developing new ways to get a higher quality and quantity of output of goods and services from each unit...

Task Force on Innovation (5 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: As I explained previously to the Deputy, the National Treasury Management Agency, NTMA, working with Enterprise Ireland, has been leading a market assessment process involving engagement with leading venture capital companies in the United States, Europe and other stakeholders. It is taking account of the impact of recent developments on the domestic and international financial markets as...

Task Force on Innovation (5 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: Some of that contact and discussion may be commercially sensitive. The Deputy could table a Parliamentary Question on the matter to the Minister for Foreign Affairs whose Department collates information in regard to ministerial visits when Ministers return. It is possible for the Deputy to obtain some of the information he requires in this way.

Task Force on Innovation (5 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: I do not accept that contention. Much work has been done on advancing science and maths and thankfully we are seeing a higher take up this year compared to recent years in terms of leaving certificate participation. Much work is being done on project maths. Much effort has been made by professionals and educationalists to try to ensure the attention of the student population is brought to...

Task Force on Innovation (5 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: We have been encouraging investment in the broadband sector for some time and have put forward direct funding from the taxpayer through the MANS network. There has been significant improvement in that area, although obviously there is some more work to be done, despite the fact that people like to portray that no progress has been made in that area. The Deputy suggested that it is possible...

Task Force on Innovation (5 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: I made the point in previous replies that the National Treasury Management Agency is actively seeking to address this issue with Enterprise Ireland and is making some progress. The innovation fund is not simply a publicly funded research programme. It is using publicly funded research in as coherent and cohesive a manner as possible and leveraging venture capital. It is true that it has...

Task Force on Innovation (5 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: This question relates to the innovation task force itself, which is what the discussion has been about. If there are specific issues about the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, then the questions should be directed at the Minister who can make that information available to the Deputy.

Task Force on Innovation (5 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: If funds are not in place, they obviously cannot obtain them. It is a question of the Minister figuring out if it is possible to allocate funds out of existing budgets, but that is a matter for him to consider. We have a set amount of money to discharge and it is not a question of finding money, given that we are borrowing a considerable amount of money to do so many other things. The...

Task Force on Innovation (5 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: The city and county enterprise boards in Limerick can access extra funds through the globalisation fund that has been made available to Dell workers.

Task Force on Innovation (5 May 2010)

Brian Cowen: I do not know if the legislation has yet been drafted. I am aware that various recommendations have been made by the Law Reform Commission and others on the bankruptcy laws. It is a matter for the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to proceed with the bankruptcy laws, unless it is dealt with by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. I will have to check on that.