Results 3,141-3,160 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Order of Business (31 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: It is addressed to Dáil Éireann, Dublin 2.

Order of Business (31 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: The letter is in the system. I will have to come back to Deputy Naughten on the floods directive issue. I met him yesterday evening and he mentioned that he would raise this matter but I have not had an opportunity to check it out. I will get back to him.

Order of Business (31 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: I acknowledge what Deputy Stagg said. I will ask the Chief Whip to ensure this matter is brought to the attention of Ministers and Ministers of State. Unfortunately, it is often not possible for the relevant Minister to attend because of prior commitments but I will ask that the content be relevant to the question. It is open at all times to Ministers to listen on Adjournment debates....

Order of Business (31 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: I will have to revert to the Deputy regarding the plans by the Minister for Health and Children on the timing of legislation promised in the insurance area. With regard to the head shops issue, the Attorney General's advice has been sought to see if there is any way we can deal with issues other than through the three-month notification issue which we are dealing with.

Order of Business (31 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: If I took every solution the Deputy offered, I would be in some trouble.

Order of Business (31 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: Yes.

Order of Business (31 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: As Members are aware, this is a priority issue. It was hoped that we would have the legislation in this session but I understand we will have it early in the next session.

Order of Business (31 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: I will have to check that for the Deputy. I am not aware of the issue.

Order of Business (31 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: That is my understanding.

Order of Business (31 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: We are not aware of any legislation covering that area.

Order of Business (31 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: We are not aware of any problem in that area. Parliamentary questions provide an opportunity for such matters to be discussed.

European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: I attended the meeting of the European Council in Brussels last Thursday and Friday, 25 and 26 March. The Council's formal agenda indicated that discussion would centre on the new European strategy for growth and jobs, and climate change. In the event, and as is often the case with European Councils, the build-up was dominated by a topic not formally envisaged on the agenda. This time, as...

Leaders' Questions (31 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: I will not accept that because it is not true. As regards the question of publishing advice, we were sitting down in a room that night to decide what decisions were to be taken. It was not a question of going around looking for papers or looking to see if there were options. We sat down to consider the decision that had to be taken before the opening of business the next morning to ensure...

Leaders' Questions (31 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: That was the level of decision I had to make and I was not prepared to take a risk with this economy in any respect. I took advice on that and we made the political decisions conscientiously.

Leaders' Questions (31 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: Let me further state that when it came to early 2009 and we had to nationalise Anglo Irish Bank, if we had not put capital into that bank at that point, what would have happened? We would have had to face the sort of bills which the Minister, Deputy Lenihan, has pointed out-----

Leaders' Questions (31 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: That reality remained, it was the same yesterday and there is a requirement to do the same today.

Leaders' Questions (31 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: A suggestion is being made that the choice was between zero, let it go to the wall or to put money into a bank to protect these unnamed benefactors the Deputies are talking about. That was not the choice. The choice was whether to find a solution that, unfortunately, involves having to make unpalatable decisions such as putting more money into the bank or a bigger bill than if we let it go...

Leaders' Questions (31 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: What we are trying to do and what we are doing in respect of the comprehensive decision made yesterday is to say to the people that this is the solution to put this right, to fix the system, to ensure people have access to credit and to ensure the country can get back on the path of growth again. If we do not do that, if we did not do what we did yesterday and pursue it and deal with it in...

Leaders' Questions (31 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: We would not be immune from this any more than anyone else. It is the case that we have had problems and we have had to deal with them but I will not accept the contention made by Deputy Gilmore in the questions about me and my motivation. The Deputy is entitled to disagree with me but he should not question my patriotism to my country.

EU Summits. (31 Mar 2010)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 7, inclusive, together. I attended the spring meeting of the European Council in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, 25 and 26 March. As I will be making a statement to the House later today, I will confine myself to giving a summary account of the proceedings now. The meeting discussed a new European strategy for growth and jobs, often referred to as EU...