Results 6,881-6,900 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Leaders' Questions (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: We are not worse than any other government despite the Deputy's contention.

Leaders' Questions (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: Deputy Gilmore has quoted from a draft report but did not see the final report. When he saw the draft, he got his finance spokesperson to put out her statement in the morning. He then decided to come in here to have an argument about something that is not even in the final report.

Freedom of Information. (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together. A total of 28 freedom of information requests have been received to date in my Department in 2009. Of these, 15 were granted and four were part granted. Four requests are still being processed. As regards the other figures requested by the Deputies, I will circulate a table in the Official Report. All freedom of information...

Freedom of Information. (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: The question is about the factual information to what requests under the Freedom of Information Acts my Department received. It does not relate to a debate on the merits, or demerits as Deputy Bruton would see it, of the Acts. During my tenure as Minister for Finance, I widened the number of agencies that came under the Act's remit. Hundreds of State organisations are now required to work...

Freedom of Information. (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: All I know is that if I had taken Deputy Bruton's advice prior to the last election, we would be in an even worse economic situation now. He sought to increase the cost of housing by doing away with stamp duty.

Freedom of Information. (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: It is true. That was the central plank of his economic policy going into the 2007 general election.

Freedom of Information. (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: It was the central plank of Fine Gael's policy. It was an effort to win over middle class urban Ireland.

Freedom of Information. (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: No, my economic insight goes much further than that. I am just pointing out how far the Deputy's went on a particular occasion. There were many agencies that predated the last Government and even the establishment of the Freedom of Information Act which were brought under the aegis of the legislation when I was Minister for Finance, including the Garda Síochána and others. It is not...

Freedom of Information. (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: No, the legislation does not apply to the Garda.

Freedom of Information. (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: I will abide by protocol and announce the Ministers of State after Question Time and before the Order of Business.

Freedom of Information. (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: To be helpful to the Deputy, as always, we can look at the merits or demerits - the pros and cons - of the approach that has been suggested when the Private Members' Bills are debated during Private Members' time.

Freedom of Information. (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: I am not aware that my Department has any specific role wider than looking after its own records. It is a matter for each agency or body which comes under the remit of the freedom of information legislation to have the necessary people involved and designated to deal with any queries that arise under the legislation and in accordance with its terms. I am not aware there is a wider...

Freedom of Information. (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: All I can say in regard to the operation of the Act is that it would require a direct question to the Minister for Finance. If an issue arose in the local authority system which the Information Commissioner felt was systemic, or if there was a problem getting the quality of information she felt should be available, it is a matter she would bring to attention in her annual reports for action...

Cabinet Committees. (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 to 10, inclusive, together. I sit on the following Cabinet committees - European Affairs; Climate Change and Energy Security; Science, Technology and Innovation; Social Inclusion, Children and Integration; Health; Irish and the Gaeltacht; Economic Renewal; and Transforming Public Services. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Renewal has met six times since its...

Cabinet Committees. (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: The whole question of budgetary policy was dealt with not only in regard to Cabinet committees but Cabinet meetings also. The regaining of competitiveness, which deals with what is happening in the private sector in regard to people having to take less in wages and take-home pay and the effort to reduce costs in a very difficult market environment, is an important contribution towards trying...

Cabinet Committees. (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: I point out to the Deputy that the Cabinet meets every week. It is not a question of waiting for a committee meeting to decide what we do on economic policy or respond to economic issues. I can assure him that economic issues dominate any Cabinet meeting because of the scale of the task that faces us and the number of problems that are arising. Let us get away from the idea that a...

Cabinet Committees. (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: As the Ceann Comhairle said, these are matters for Cabinet alone. To be helpful to the Deputy, the particular Cabinet committee he mentioned meets as necessary and will continue to do so. New institutional structures are in place, such as the integrated offices for children, older persons, and mental health and disability. It means these crosscutting responsibilities are enabling Ministers...

Cabinet Committees. (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: Next thing, the Deputy will be asking me for the clár.

Cabinet Committees. (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: The holding of Cabinet committees is an internal matter for the Cabinet. As I said, no decisions are taken at Cabinet committees. The whole idea is to bring to fruition various policy issues and debates and to come to Cabinet with a position that is, usually, agreed by the various Ministers, rather than have all of that argument and discussion at the Cabinet level. There might be a...

Cabinet Committees. (22 Apr 2009)

Brian Cowen: Chips were brought in and the sense of crisis abated - I am sure - and discussions resumed again into a coherent whole. I assure the Deputy that is not the best way in my experience. If people need to be up until that hour of the morning to get a decision, they are probably better off deferring it to another day.