Results 4,041-4,060 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Order of Business (Resumed) (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: A voluntary code of conduct is being brought forward on the matter referred to by the Deputy which requires legislation. It will be put on a statutory footing when the amalgamation of the Competition Authority and the National Consumer Agency is provided for in legislation during the course of this year.

Order of Business (Resumed) (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: I understand the Seanad is dealing with it this week.

Order of Business (Resumed) (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: I do not think so.

Order of Business (Resumed) (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: Whatever the Deputy thinks himself.

Order of Business (Resumed) (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: The Taoiseach may certainly say it to me as leader of Fianna Fáil. On the granting of recognition to new schools and associated patronage, it is a matter for the Minister under the Education Act. He had to make a decision on which patrons should be recognised in each location. The interim arrangements for the recognition of new primary schools while the review of procedures in this area is...

Order of Business (Resumed) (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: There are interim arrangements, which were followed. The recommendations which came from the commission informed the decisions that were taken on these matters. There is an interim procedure in place and the VEC schools are a very democratic means of providing patronage.

Order of Business (Resumed) (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: We are working on the issue currently, although we have not legislative proposals to hand. There is ongoing work on the matter.

Order of Business (Resumed) (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: I am not aware of the detailed arrangements put in place regarding any work to rule or industrial action being taken by a trade or Civil Service union. The matter should be taken up with the unions. We are anxious to see if there is a basis on which engagement can occur. I welcome that the public services committee decided not to escalate the current industrial action at this point. I...

Order of Business (Resumed) (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: The answer is yes.

Order of Business (Resumed) (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: The Minister for Health and Children has responsibility for the implementation of the Misuse of Drugs Acts. The legislation being prepared at the moment will introduce controls similar to those recently introduced in the UK on a range of substances that are on sale in head shops. This secondary legislation will be brought forward as quickly as possible, and I will bring the point made by...

Order of Business (Resumed) (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: I will find out. I do not know.

Leaders' Questions (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: I reject the personalised attack by the Leader of the Opposition on the Tánaiste. When SR Technics announced the closure 12 months ago of its operations in Dublin Airport the Tánaiste appointed the IDA and Enterprise Ireland as contact points for any company that wanted to maintain part of its operation there or had ideas for starting a similar business at the airport. As a result, many...

Leaders' Questions (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: -----and has that prospect in mind. The other involved Ryanair, which is not prepared to negotiate with the DAA but we were prepared to use the IDA as an intermediary. This was a proposal to establish a maintenance operation for its own fleet which would initially employ 200, perhaps rising to 500 over a number of years. Certain conditions were attached to this proposal, one being...

Leaders' Questions (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: If life was as simple as Deputy Kenny thought it was he would probably be Taoiseach himself. The situation is different to that. On 17 September 2009 it was communicated by Ryanair that the condition of hangar 6 being part of the proposal was to be withdrawn on 24 September at Ryanair's AGM. In the aftermath of the Prestwick announcement it was stated by the CEO that the prospect of...

Leaders' Questions (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: Rather than people getting involved in a personality assassination effort here, which I do not accept and I do not believe is relevant, the issue is a business one as to whether a viable option can be obtained consistent with the legal issues that arise and the licences and leases in the ownership of other companies on the property which Ryanair seeks to obtain. At the end of the day, we...

Leaders' Questions (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: -----we can find a viable project for this to go forward. I believe with common sense that would be possible. If conditions precedent exist similar to those which were in place prior to September when it could not be accommodated it is important that we examine the issues afresh to see in what way we can move forward. I do not question the bona fides of anybody in this matter but we must...

Leaders' Questions (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: Of course I stand over the handling of the issue by the Tánaiste.

Leaders' Questions (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: The contention by Deputy Gilmore that other viable projects were available at the time of the closure of SR Technics is not correct.

Leaders' Questions (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: There were expressions of interest and sincere efforts were made by the workers themselves-----

Leaders' Questions (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: -----which involved having to provide some of the capital for the project by forgoing redundancy payments. Unfortunately, that did not provide the financial mix which would allow it to proceed, despite everyone's best efforts. I acknowledge those efforts but it is not just a question of knocking heads together and finding that a project is viable. A viable commercial project was proposed...