Results 6,681-6,700 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Departmental Expenditure. (12 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: I answered the question about vacancies last week. I referred the Deputy to the budget statement of the Minister for Finance, who outlined that it was not the intention at that time to tax those gratuities and he would refer back to the matter in December. On the question of the Estimates, they came in as scheduled last year and will come in this year. It is a matter of controlling...

Departmental Expenditure. (12 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: I would like to make it clear to the Deputy that one has two options when in government. One tries to bring about a situation where one's public finance position is sustainable or one decides that it is unsustainable, does not make any decisions and continues to borrow money at a rate that is not affordable over the period of time. That is the position. One has a budget. Limited...

Departmental Expenditure. (12 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: As I was explaining to the Deputy, at the beginning of every budgetary process a bilateral meeting takes place between individual Ministers and the Minister for Finance. The Minister for Finance will have obtained from Government broad agreement on the parameters of the budgetary strategy, based on the macro-economic forecasts and whatever other issues he can bring to the table as to what...

Departmental Expenditure. (12 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: -----and the numbers of people who are now being provided for in mainstream education show that there has been a revolution in the provision of education - and quite rightly so - for those with disabilities and problems. This is not to suggest that every problem has been solved but I do not accept the contention that this Government has not shown a very strong commitment in this area. It...

Departmental Expenditure. (12 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: We certainly do not do that.

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (6 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: The information requested by the Deputy in respect of my Department is detailed in the schedule below: Title of Report Year Objective Cost Laid before Houses of the Oireachtas(yes / no) Annual Report 2003(published 2004)(Annual Reports are produced internally but are published for both internal and external use) 2004 Progress report on the Department's Strategy Statement €26,352 Yes...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (6 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: The following is the information requested by the Deputy in respect of the reports I have received from the bodies under the aegis of my Department in relation to their operations. National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO) The National Economic and Social Development Office's Annual Report 2007 was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas by my Department on 8 July 2008. NESDO...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (6 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: The National Centre for Partnership and Performance (NCPP) is a constituent body of the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO) which is funded by Subhead B of my Department's vote. The provision in the Revised Estimate for this year for the NCPP is €1.175m. Of this, €0.717m relates to pay and €0.458m relates to non-pay expenditure.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (6 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: The following tables detail the annual expenditure on external legal costs by my Department and agencies under the aegis of my Department in each of the past five years: Department of the Taoiseach Year Annual Expenditure on external legal costs 2009 (Jan- March) Nil 2008 â'¬1,727 2007 â'¬12,197 2006 â'¬60,846 2005 â'¬4,448 2004 â'¬23,270 NESDO Year Annual Expenditure on...

Order of Business (6 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: The Government is aware of the concern and anxieties that this process is causing to prospective adoptive parents. However, the Government is also firmly committed to ensuring that arrangements between Ireland and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam protect the best interests of the children, their families and prospective adoptive parents. The Minister of State with responsibility for...

Order of Business (6 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: Obviously, this was a regulation, secondary legislation, that was being enacted in respect of this matter. I will have to come back to the Deputy after I check what the position is as to whether an amendment is required and what timescale is involved.

Order of Business (6 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: Unfortunately, I have no date for that Bill at the moment.

Order of Business (6 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: Individual Ministers can update the Deputy in respect of each individual case. In budget 2009, the Minister for Finance announced 30 rationalisation decisions to reduce the number of State agencies by 41. As of now, nine of the 30 rationalisation decisions have been implemented, covering nine State agencies and the closure of four Army barracks. Following analysis by Departments,...

Order of Business (6 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: As I say, the question of decisions further to those that have been announced by the Minister for Finance are a matter for Government to consider in due course. I am referring to those areas where, in fact, Government decisions have been made.

Order of Business (6 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy has been very good at appointing a few himself.

Order of Business (6 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: The whole question of seeking to improve credit availability in the financial system in Ireland is dictated both by administrative practice and some of the legislative changes that we have implemented. The question of recapitalisation, for example, required legislation. That is one of the legislative means by which we are seeking to bring stability to the financial system and to improve...

Order of Business (6 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: The road traffic Bill is expected this session. As for what Deputy Broughan and I discussed privately, it was in a conversation that took place in the Chamber as he and I were leaving the House. One should not indicate it was anything more sinister than that.

Order of Business (6 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: Obviously, the Tánaiste continues to work extremely hard in this respect to try to find a solution to that problem.

Order of Business (6 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: I do not have a date for the legislation to which the Deputy referred in the first part of his question. As the Deputy is aware, it has been the subject of ongoing and continual discussion between the social partners. We have a voluntary industrial relations code and trying to resolve that issue has been a matter of considerable discussion and debate between the social partners. Ongoing...

Leaders' Questions (6 May 2009)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy raised a number of points. He referred to what we said on 25 June 2008 and what I have since been doing. It is true that the Labour Party has not supported any of the initiatives taken by the Government to provide stability.