Results 2,961-2,980 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Order of Business (28 Apr 2010)

Brian Cowen: I will have to get back to the Deputy on the first issue. I am not aware of where that is or when the legislation is being brought forward. I already answered a question on the consumer and competition Bill earlier today, stating the heads of the Bill are being prepared. I understand the sale of alcohol Bill is due later this year.

Order of Business (28 Apr 2010)

Brian Cowen: There are no proposals.

Written Answers — Parliamentary Questions: Parliamentary Questions (28 Apr 2010)

Brian Cowen: No parliamentary questions have remained unanswered to date due to staff action in 2010.

Decentralisation Programme. (27 Apr 2010)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together. Of the 164 civil servants serving in my Department, 31 have applied through the Central Applications Facility to relocate under the decentralisation programme. The breakdown by grade is, assistant principal, seven; higher executive officer, four; administrative officer, three; executive officer, five; staff officer, one; and...

Decentralisation Programme. (27 Apr 2010)

Brian Cowen: No, I do not have that information.

Decentralisation Programme. (27 Apr 2010)

Brian Cowen: Detailed questions on policy positions and issues regarding individual locations should be referred to the Department of Finance, which handles this matter. The general position is as outlined by Deputy Kenny. There are locations which are being proceeded with. It has been announced that other locations will be reviewed in 2011.

Decentralisation Programme. (27 Apr 2010)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy should ask about matters that are relevant to the Taoiseach.

Decentralisation Programme. (27 Apr 2010)

Brian Cowen: I cannot comment on specific cases. Before the decentralisation programme, a substantial amount of commuting was done by people who travelled long distances. It is now very much offset by the fact that there are decentralised offices in other parts of the country. People who have to come to Dublin or live here can now return to and work from home. That greatly offsets any examples the...

Decentralisation Programme. (27 Apr 2010)

Brian Cowen: It is a detailed question and the specifics will have to come from the Department of Finance.

Decentralisation Programme. (27 Apr 2010)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy is an experienced parliamentarian. The questions on decentralisation tabled to my Department relate to my Department. The Department with responsibility and with all the information and wider detail on this, as he knows, is the Department of Finance. I recall when I was in that Department the Deputy had many questions to ask when I had the information in front of me. The fact...

Decentralisation Programme. (27 Apr 2010)

Brian Cowen: No, he did not, in fairness to him.

Decentralisation Programme. (27 Apr 2010)

Brian Cowen: The cost of the bus is not covered in the supplementary information either. The ability to anticipate goes way beyond my expectations. It has been a feature of how the service has been, is and probably will be organised in the future where people commute long distances to hold down jobs in the public service. Decentralisation has provided a welcome opportunity for many people, both those...

Decentralisation Programme. (27 Apr 2010)

Brian Cowen: I do not have that sort of information. The purpose of the decentralisation programme was to provide people with opportunities. For some, it involves a change of location. For others, it involves a change of Department. In some cases it will involve moving from one Department to another within the city while others might have availed of promotional opportunities and moved down the...

Decentralisation Programme. (27 Apr 2010)

Brian Cowen: With regard to relocations pertaining to any area of my Department under the programme, there are 31 staff with applications in the Central Applications Facility who are available to relocate, subject to the usual criteria. There have been a number of reports. The Decentralisation Implementation Group has provided a series of reports updating the information on the progress being made, the...

Decentralisation Programme. (27 Apr 2010)

Brian Cowen: As I said earlier, moves to Buncrana and Trim are under way at present. I have given the update on the Wexford situation and Newbridge, and the projects in Roscommon town, Tipperary town and Portlaoise are ongoing. Advance teams were sent to two locations where the buildings were not yet ready. Such advance teams are, in themselves, viable and may be augmented in the future as required if...

Departmental Programmes. (27 Apr 2010)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 to 8, inclusive, together. The first and pilot phase of the organisational review programme, ORP, involved the undertaking of comprehensive reviews of the capacities of three Departments, with particular reference to strategy, managing delivery and evaluation, and the production by them of follow-up action plans. The Departments reviewed were Agriculture,...

Departmental Programmes. (27 Apr 2010)

Brian Cowen: Some of the findings of the report in question, which has not yet been published, featured in the media recently, although much of the contextual information and balancing comments did not appear in these articles, and other findings were not commented upon at all. An operational review programme is a management tool to help assess the capacity of Departments and major offices to meet...

Departmental Programmes. (27 Apr 2010)

Brian Cowen: As I said earlier, these reports are being finalised and all four will be taken together, presumably by the Government, as the second phase of the operational review programme and will be considered by the Government when the action plans are presented with the reports.

Departmental Programmes. (27 Apr 2010)

Brian Cowen: As I have said, all four will be taken together. They involve a detailed examination of the capacities of the four organisations. The review of Revenue is almost finalised and the other three have been completed. They will be taken together by the Cabinet when the Revenue review is completed and we will take it from there.

Departmental Programmes. (27 Apr 2010)

Brian Cowen: In fairness to the Departments which are being asked to respond to the reports with developing action plans to deal with the issues raised, not all of the findings were reported and the context and balancing commentaries on particular findings did not feature. For that reason, it is best to await publication of the full reports and the associated action plans by the Departments, after...