Results 6,321-6,340 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Order of Business (9 Jun 2009)

Brian Cowen: That legislation is before the Seanad. When it is completed there it will come before this House.

Order of Business (9 Jun 2009)

Brian Cowen: It was prioritised. That is why it is in the Seanad so soon after its publication. When it is taken in this House is a matter for the Whips.

Order of Business (9 Jun 2009)

Brian Cowen: It is a very slow burner.

Order of Business (9 Jun 2009)

Brian Cowen: There is a number of pieces of planning legislation. A planning Bill is before the Seanad and the heads of other Bills have yet to be approved by the Government.

Order of Business (9 Jun 2009)

Brian Cowen: A number of Bills from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform are on the A list. Four or five of them have been published. Those will take immediate priority.

Order of Business (9 Jun 2009)

Brian Cowen: My understanding is that the Government wishes to proceed in a sectoral way regarding whistleblowing legislation rather than with the comprehensive, omnibus Bill, which was, as the Deputy stated, given a Second Reading in the House.

Order of Business (9 Jun 2009)

Brian Cowen: The legislation is before the Seanad today.

Order of Business (9 Jun 2009)

Brian Cowen: On the timescale, given what we said, we will obviously give priority to this issue which, as the Deputy is aware, is highly complex. The Bill is being drafted as a matter of priority in the Department of Finance. The optimum position would be for it to be available and approved by Government and published and considered for enactment by the House before the Dáil rises. If that is not...

Order of Business (9 Jun 2009)

Brian Cowen: I understand the Adoption Bill is awaiting Second Stage in the Dáil. The civil partnership Bill is also due in this session.

Order of Business (27 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: The legislation it is hoped to have by the summer includes the financial services (deposit guarantee scheme) Bill and the financial services (miscellaneous provisions) Bill.

Order of Business (27 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: There is no date for that Bill yet.

Order of Business (27 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: The debate on the report in two weeks will present an excellent opportunity to determine where we stand at present.

Order of Business (27 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: I will have to revert to the Deputy on that.

Office of the Chief State Solicitor. (27 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: The reply refers to the Office of the Chief State Solicitor. Some 16 additional staff were approved for the Office of the Chief State Solicitor in January 2007. The office has an authorised staff level of 249 full-time equivalents. There was a suggestion that some 18 contract staff at the Office of the Chief State Solicitor were to lose their jobs because of the moratorium. However, the...

Regulatory Reform. (27 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 to 6, inclusive, together. The OECD report, Regulatory Reform in Ireland, was published in 2001. In response, the Government published the White Paper, Regulating Better, in 2004 which provides the framework for advancing the better regulation agenda in Ireland. Some of the recommendations and actions outlined in the OECD report and the White Paper relate...

Regulatory Reform. (27 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: I understand the report, carried out by the Economist Intelligence Unit in partnership with Compecon Limited, commenced in May last year and has recently been completed. The report is currently under consideration by the Government in the context of the overall work programme of the Cabinet committee on economic renewal. The issue of publication will be considered in that context. The cost...

Regulatory Reform. (27 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: It has not yet been considered by the Government. As I indicated, it has just been completed and referred to the committee. A number of Ministers will consider its contents and see what response the Government has to it. Once we make some decisions in that regard, we can consider publication at that stage.

Regulatory Reform. (27 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: I do not have the details of the implementation of the report and the fact that it spans a number of Departments, as I indicated in my reply, means it is best to take up the issue with individual Departments. One could then obtain up to date and accurate information on any sectoral recommendations. I do not have that information within my Department.

Regulatory Reform. (27 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: In the context of our discussions on North-South issues with the Northern Ireland Executive, we continually seek ways and means by which we can improve the business environment both North and South. As a result of different policy issues and structures, we look to ensure that political discussion between relevant Ministers and at North-South Ministerial Council level might be enabled to...

Regulatory Reform. (27 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: The issue of harmonising employment standards and laws, for example, could involve the reduction of standards on one side of the Border. The social partnership model we have devised over the past 22 years has seen advances in worker and employment legislation. It has been good for us but we must also keep an eye on competitiveness issues. It has not been part of the UK agenda for some...