Results 4,081-4,100 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Departmental Expenditure. (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy must be joking.

Departmental Expenditure. (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: I know the Deputy too long. Senator Regan-----

Departmental Expenditure. (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: No, it would have been afterwards.

Departmental Expenditure. (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: It was after the settlement was made.

Departmental Expenditure. (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: I presume it was.

Departmental Expenditure. (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: I just explained to the Deputy when I had the conversation with the Minister.

Departmental Expenditure. (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: lf it was before, in the middle or after the settlement, it does matter to the Deputy. It was afterwards and I spoke to the Minister about it.

Departmental Expenditure. (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: That is the answer I have given the Deputy. I have answered his question.

Departmental Expenditure. (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: The Minister was acting in his private capacity, not in pursuance of his ministerial duties.

Departmental Expenditure. (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: They are not signed by P. O'Neill.

Departmental Expenditure. (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: There is no P. O'Neill working in it.

Departmental Expenditure. (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: I have answered this on a number of occasions regarding the communications unit. It is on the record of the House every time I am asked about it so I do not have to repeat it. With regard to the matter raised by Deputy Ó Caoláin, in this case the Minister was acting in a private capacity. It was not in pursuance of his ministerial duties that this issue arose. He has dealt with the...

Departmental Expenditure. (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: To clarify, the Minister was acting in a private capacity as it was a private action that arose.

Departmental Expenditure. (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: If I may be allowed to continue, there has been no breach of the code under which he operates as a Minister.

Freedom of Information. (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together. Seven freedom of information requests were received in my Department to date in 2010. Of these, two were part granted and the remaining five are still being processed. As regards FOI requests received in the years 2002 to 2009, the following table shows the number received in each of those years and the number that were granted...

Freedom of Information. (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: The policy in respect of freedom of information legislation is decided initially by Government and then subsequently by the Oireachtas. While one takes into account what might be stated in the annual reports of the Ombudsman or the Information Commissioner to the Minister for Finance - who deals with these matters - ultimately it is the responsibility for the Government and the Oireachtas to...

Freedom of Information. (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: The point to make on freedom of information is that the idea that some issues require freedom of information requests does not suggest that people are unduly secretive about the information that is available. The nature of some of the requests under the Freedom of Information Act is by definition personal or confidential; those requests may relate to the health records of the individual...

Freedom of Information. (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: I am not aware of any intention to accommodate that. The issue in question could well be addressed by parliamentary questions in any event. The functions of the NTMA are a matter of organisation for the Minister for Finance. Obviously, the Minister and other agencies, such as the Central Bank, will continue to advise generally on these kinds of matters in so far as they are appropriate to...

Freedom of Information. (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: I do not subscribe to the Deputy's conspiracy theory. First, as Minister for Finance, the terms of the freedom of information legislation were historically widened beyond those set by any of my predecessors or successors. I have broadened the application of the Freedom of Information Act to far more bodies than was the case when Deputy Gilmore's party introduced it. I contend that my...

Freedom of Information. (16 Feb 2010)

Brian Cowen: I have not received any such lobbying whatever from the banks on that matter. It is clear that bank confidentiality rules have to apply for the efficient and effective running of these bodies. The same applies to any other operation of this kind and, for a whole lot of obvious reasons, that is the rationale behind it. The FOI Act should not automatically apply to every body that is...