Results 5,341-5,360 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (3 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: The persons in question are the former Director General of the Central Statistics Office, Mr. Donal Garvey and Mr. Gerry Hickey and Ms. Una Claffey, former Special Advisers to my predecessor. I will write to the Deputy directly and provide him with details of their service. In each case, arrangements were made in accordance with comparable terms applied previously in similar circumstances,...

Departmental Agencies. (3 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 12, inclusive, together. Planned expenditure levels for my Department and the associated offices in my Vote group will be considered as part of the 2010 Estimates and budgetary process. The report of the special group on public service numbers and expenditure programmes will be considered. Decisions on all issues arising from that report will be a...

Departmental Agencies. (3 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: As I stated in my reply, these reports are being considered in the context of the Estimates process and political decisions. We have indicated the savings we are seeking, namely, an adjustment of €4 billion for next year. The McCarthy report recommends a higher figure. It is not a question of making all the cuts in 2010 but a matter of political consideration as to which savings or...

Departmental Agencies. (3 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: The report has been submitted to the Government. It forms part of the considerations of the budgetary process. This process is confidential until the Government makes its ultimate decisions. The outcome of our deliberations will become clear when the budget is announced and the Estimates process is complete. The deliberations are ongoing and there are bilateral discussions taking place as...

Departmental Agencies. (3 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: As I said in an earlier reply to Deputy Gilmore, the McCarthy report was on an examination of every area of current expenditure that was undertaken by a group of people, who were asked to do so by the Minister for Finance. They duly reported. It is now a matter for political decision by the Government what role and part that report will play in our final decisions relating to the...

Departmental Agencies. (3 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: As the Deputy said, there are recommendations in the McCarthy report on that matter. All these recommendations must be subject to political scrutiny and decisions will have to be taken on them. Some are more urgent than others, while some are more important than others. However, all of them must be considered on their merits. As I listened to the Deputy's supplementary question, I thought...

Departmental Agencies. (3 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: I thought: "Surely to God he will not try to talk himself out of the only job that might be available to him."

Departmental Agencies. (3 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: The co-ordinating role in the Department of the Taoiseach across a range of Government policies must continue. The question of how we can do that most effectively and efficiently is the issue under consideration. However, it does not absolve the Taoiseach of the responsibilities of the office or the Department of its efforts to service the requirements of a Taoiseach and ensure that it has...

Departmental Agencies. (3 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: As stated previously, it is unavoidable that there will be an adjustment in the public service pay bill, particularly as it forms such a large part of public expenditure. At present, approximately 35% of day-to-day expenditure - €20 billion per annum - relates to public sector pay and pensions. The final decision on how the necessary reductions will be achieved is a matter for the...

Departmental Agencies. (3 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: I agree with Deputy Coveney that the situation confronting us makes it imperative that all initiatives, including the e-government initiative, form the basis of a broader agreement on how we can provide more efficient and effective public services in the future. It is true that there is a need to utilise technology in a way that will deliver services that are more customer oriented and...

Departmental Agencies. (3 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: Apart from publishing strategies, discussions are ongoing which provide us with a good opportunity to make real progress on an agreed basis for the introduction of a greater level of e-government in our deliberations.

Departmental Agencies. (3 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: With regard to the identification of savings or expenditure adjustments that would help to assist the process, the recommendations of course would form part of the discussion. Where we can find agreement on the implementation, it is all the better for us. The Government has decisions to take and wants to do this on the basis of the greatest measure of agreement - full agreement if possible....

Departmental Agencies. (3 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: I have made the situation clear and there should be no confusion about it. I made it clear in a previous comment to the House that the purpose of the talks is to explore the possibility of achieving the necessary reductions in the public service pay bill on an agreed basis.

Departmental Agencies. (3 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: They are more than exploratory. Everyone recognises the seriousness of the situation the country is in and the need to make an adjustment. A range of options is being considered and it is not helpful to go into further detail at this stage simply because discussions are under way. Time is short and the Government must see signs of progress this week, given the comparatively short lead-in...

Departmental Agencies. (3 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: It is the purpose of Government to find a saving of the order that we have outlined throughout the public service. There are different personnel involved in every sector who engage in industrial relations issues on an ongoing basis. We would use that expertise and interaction on a sectoral basis as part of an overall effort to obtain the savings. There are different pay structures and...

Leaders' Questions (3 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: I will start by responding to the Deputy's second point. Just over €26 billion in tax revenue had been received by the end of October. That figure represents a year-on-year decline of 17%. Against the profile, overall tax revenue was down 4%, or €1.074 billion, by the end of October. VAT and income tax continue to be the weakest tax heads against the targets that were set. In...

Leaders' Questions (3 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: For the year as a whole, an Exchequer borrowing requirement in the region of €26 billion is forecast. This implies a general Government deficit in the region of 12% of GDP by the end of 2009. Continuing to borrow at a high level to bridge the gap that has emerged between revenue and expenditure is not a sustainable solution in the medium to long term. Our priority is to address this gap...

Leaders' Questions (3 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: During Priority Questions today, I outlined to the House the current position on the effort to find an agreed way forward on negotiating a public pay position that would see a reduction in the public pay bill. That is ongoing and we have continued to work towards this. We have sat down with the public sector unions to examine what alternatives may exist to allow us to achieve this...

Leaders' Questions (3 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: That is the reason we have to proceed in this way. There will be an opportunity in this House for everyone to put forward his or her position in terms of pre-budget statements. On the issues raised by Deputy Gilmore or any other party on trying to maintain jobs, we are seeing twice as many people in activation programmes now than previously. We have introduced the stabilisation fund and...

Leaders' Questions (3 Nov 2009)

Brian Cowen: With respect to the Deputy, I was simply replying in substance to all the points he made. I was suggesting that there were areas where we had agreement and areas where perhaps we have a difference of emphasis. That is all I was doing. On the supplementary points made by Deputy Gilmore, that is precisely what I am seeking to achieve. On all occasions I have sought to point out that the best...