Results 4,801-4,820 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Leaders' Questions (8 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: There are a number of ways in which we can seek to reduce this expenditure in the coming years. I ask that people look to this positive agenda for the future rather than seeking to engage in industrial action which will not achieve anything other than continue to defer what could be provided if we were prepared to work on the progress that has been made thus far.

Order of Business (8 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: It is proposed to take No. 9, motion re ministerial rota for parliamentary questions; No. 10, motion re referral to joint committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the reports by the Minister for Defence regarding service by the Defence Forces with the United Nations in 2007 and 2008; No. 11, motion re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Regional Fisheries Boards...

Order of Business (8 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: I refer to the budget and the consequent legislation required. Two tranches of legislation will be required, the Social Welfare Bill and legislation to deal with the public sector pay situation as a result of issues which arose last week. It is the intention of the Government to come to the House with the Social Welfare Bill on Thursday this week, to take Second Stage on Thursday afternoon...

Ministerial Travel. (8 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: Practices existed in the past on how those issues were handled. The question arises about their appropriateness at any time, but they are not part of the arrangements, given the current circumstances. It is not the case that Ministers make those arrangements for themselves. The arrangements are made, the Ministers go about their business and do their job. The important thing is that it is...

Ministerial Travel. (8 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: Those arrangements were made by the Department of Foreign Affairs. Speaking for my Department, there is a policy based on guidelines laid down by the Department of Finance that is applicable to all staff. It sets out the policy regarding appropriate class of air travel, standard of hotels to be used and use of own transport. The aims of that policy are to minimise official travel costs and...

Ministerial Travel. (8 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: There may be an assumption behind the Deputy's questions which suggests that I receive many requests and he asked me how many I refused. I receive very few requests. I cannot-----

Ministerial Travel. (8 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: Is that right? The Deputy is obviously keeping a closer eye on it than I am.

Ministerial Travel. (8 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: The guidelines are complied with in that respect. For example, there are occasions when Ministers accompany the President on foreign visits. That would be an occasion when the spouse of a Minister would be authorised to travel. It is where representational duties would require it. It is done far more sparingly than perhaps the Deputy might think.

Consultancy Reports. (8 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 9, inclusive, together. The expert and consultancy reports that have been commissioned by me and the agencies under the aegis of my Department from June 2007 to date are listed in the following tables. The tables provide details of the expert and consultancy reports commissioned by the Department of the Taoiseach and the agencies under its aegis from...

Consultancy Reports. (8 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: The cost of that review of the economic regulatory environment was €108,900. The forum was one of the recommendations of the report where, on an annual basis, it would interact with the relevant regulators to review how regulation was handled during the course of that year and any issues which arose from it.

Consultancy Reports. (8 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy asked a question on the economic regulatory environment which comes under my Department. I explained that the cost was €108,900 and the recommendations of the consultancy report are being looked at and implemented. The questions relating to the habitats directive and the National Parks and Wildlife Service perhaps should have been contemplated when the Government that brought...

Consultancy Reports. (8 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: The habitats directive-----

Consultancy Reports. (8 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: The legislation that implemented the habitats directive in this country was enacted by the Deputy's Government. He supported it.

Consultancy Reports. (8 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: The issue of biodiversity came up and the Deputy's party found it very important to legislate for it at the time.

Consultancy Reports. (8 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: The Opposition enacted the legislation.

Consultancy Reports. (8 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy must live with it as the Opposition enacted the legislation when in Government.

Consultancy Reports. (8 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: That relates to the regulatory impact analysis.

Consultancy Reports. (8 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: It is described to me as the operation of the regulatory impact analysis.

Consultancy Reports. (8 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy's is different. I do not have the authors of the reports.

Consultancy Reports. (8 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: It is a technical question that asked for the statistical details-----