Results 4,921-4,940 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Order of Business (1 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: I will ask the Whips.

Order of Business (1 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: He was not referring to anyone in the party.

Order of Business (1 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: No, he was not referring to anyone in the party.

Order of Business (1 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy should keep an eye on his own crowd.

Order of Business (1 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: I must check up on the matter with the relevant Minister, and check precedent as well.

Order of Business (1 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: As the Deputy knows, discussions are continuing with the public service unions. That engagement is continuing this evening, so it would not be helpful for me to say publicly where we are at the moment, other than that there is an engagement taking place. Work will continue to see if we can find a resolution to the issue, which is sufficient to meet the requirements of the situation. A day...

Order of Business (1 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: I understand that the Bill in question is to be published in this session.

Order of Business (1 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: Local emergency plans are in place. Up to this weekend, the experience is that they have been working very well. That is the general view of people on the ground. There may well be individual cases of continuing hardship or delay in getting to those affected by floods. In many cases, however, priorities have to be established at local level concerning the protection of installations and...

Order of Business (1 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: It is not the number of funds we establish that is important, but rather the adequacy of resources for the funding we need to supply. That is the determining factor in the response. The whole idea is to have a flexible responsive position established. As the clean-up issues emerge this question arises as well as for people who cannot access their homes. At present arrangements are being...

Order of Business (1 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: Between the exceptional needs payment that already exists and the hardship humanitarian fund, now established, the initial and immediate needs of families can be met. Longer-term issues will arise in due course, but it is less a question of the number of funds that are needed than the need to ensure that there is a flexible and adequate response to individual circumstances, which will vary...

Report by Commission of Investigation into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin: Statements (1 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: The Commission of Investigation into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin was appointed in March 2006. Its report was published last week. It is a deeply upsetting document. At the outset, I want to say it is our duty as a society to confront and address the sexual abuse of children and to bring healing to those who have suffered the traumas of abuse. The greatest tribute we can pay to the...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (1 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: It is not possible to provide the information requested by the Deputy in the time available. However, I will be in contact with the Deputy shortly to provide the information available.

Written Answers — Electric Vehicles: Electric Vehicles (1 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: My Department has not entered into an arrangement for the purchase of electric vehicles in 2009 to 2010.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (1 Dec 2009)

Brian Cowen: The cost of heating my Department's offices in 2008 was €40,803. It is not possible to provide details of the heating costs for the National Economic and Social Development Office as it is included in the cost of the rent paid to the Office for Public Works and not billed separately.

Public Service Reform. (25 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together. The OECD review of the Irish public service, Towards an Integrated Public Service, was published in April 2008. This report, which benchmarked the public service in Ireland against other comparable countries and made recommendations as to the further direction of public service reform, was an authoritative assessment of the Irish...

Public Service Reform. (25 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: I do not agree with the Deputy's negative assessment of the OECD report. One of the great problems in discussing this issue is the failure to acknowledge those parts of the public service and delivery systems that are working well. At the same time, I candidly acknowledge some aspects are not working as well and that best practice is not being provided right across the system. A good...

Public Service Reform. (25 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: I do not have that figure available to me. The objective of the moratorium on recruitment when introduced last year was to achieve a 3% saving on payroll costs. I will obtain those figures for the Deputy. In fact, the objective of the moratorium was met last year.

Public Service Reform. (25 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: It would represent a saving of approximately €300 million. The question of redeployment is critical for a simple reason. If one is aiming to change how services are delivered, it is clear there will be surplus staff as a result of the reconfiguration process. If a change is made in practices then it is a question of what to do with the staff in an organisation currently doing that work....

Public Service Reform. (25 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: I will deal with Deputy Gilmore's points. His first point was about the Department of Finance being exclusively responsible for the programme for reform of the public service. This is not a correct assumption. A Cabinet committee has been established of which I am the chairman and this committee is supported by a steering group of Secretaries General and the office for the programme for...

Public Service Reform. (25 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: As I explained to the Deputy earlier, his characterisation of this matter being dealt with exclusively in the Department of Finance is not correct for the reasons I have given because we have set up, in line with the recommendations of the task force, a Cabinet committee and a steering group, which are working through those issues, as recommended by those who have advised the Government in...