Results 7,401-7,420 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Leaders' Questions (4 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: We need to be mindful that we need to try to maintain as many jobs as possible in present circumstances. Any rise in unemployment, of course, is a very unwelcome development. It is clear that the depth of this recession and the impact it is having worldwide in markets in which we need to trade means demand is less now than was the case in the past. That is having its effect in the real...

Leaders' Questions (4 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: The third point I would make is that we brought in ten surpluses in 12 budgets during that period.

Leaders' Questions (4 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: That went towards reducing debt — halving the debt and thankfully——

Leaders' Questions (4 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: The important point to make regarding——

Leaders' Questions (4 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: The important point to make regarding that matter is that basically the country has a strong balance sheet in terms of the relative low debt we have — although rising — but we have a very weak profit and loss account because our day-to-day expenditures well exceed our revenues. That is the issue we face. In the past increased public services were required as was increased capital...

Leaders' Questions (4 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: We want to be fair and honest. At the end of 2007 all economic forecasters in this country were talking about a minimum growth rate for 2008 of 2.5% and a maximum of 4%. So the idea that the economic convulsion, which has now beset the world economy and is affecting every country in the world, advanced economy and leading manufacturing economy in the world, was foreseeable in terms of its...

Leaders' Questions (4 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: In 2008 we came in on target for our expenditure. We have had a collapse in tax revenues both last year and continuing this year. That is having its impact in a way that we now need to address. On the basis of the Exchequer figures that appeared yesterday the Government made the immediate decision that we would bring forward a supplementary budget in the context of a wider stabilisation...

Leaders' Questions (4 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: If on the Deputy's own admission they are not intended to raise revenue——

Leaders' Questions (4 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: ——the impact of those proposals would be to widen the deficit rather than close it. This is the difficulty we all have.

Leaders' Questions (4 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: Let me finish and then the Deputy can come back on the point. The simple point I am making is that I accept we need to try to maintain jobs to the greatest extent possible. We need to provide support for enterprise and in that context, measures such as these need to be considered. However they also need to be part of a wider more integrated package that will also deal with the budgetary...

Leaders' Questions (4 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: ——they will also need to fit with the fact that we need to raise revenues and also address the expenditure issues that arise.

Leaders' Questions (4 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: First, to answer Deputy Gilmore, in no way have I suggested that these figures are mere statistics. As I said at the weekend, behind every statistic, behind every job loss, is a person or family whose difficulties are made all the greater by losing their job than was the case in the past, with the anxiety and concern that it brings with it. That point is understood and well made by...

Leaders' Questions (4 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: I do not want to get involved in semantics on that except to say we will make whatever decisions are necessary to keep us within budget by the end of this month, and we will come to the House immediately thereafter and present our position. In the first week of April, we will have a supplementary budget brought to the House. With regard to the question raised——

Leaders' Questions (4 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: With regard to the question raised——

Leaders' Questions (4 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: It never is by Deputy Shatter anyway. One need not worry about that.

Leaders' Questions (4 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: It never is by Deputy Shatter anyway; a man of the utmost civility.

Leaders' Questions (4 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle. The initiatives the Government took to try to ensure that we would be successful in maintaining our expenditure within 2008 levels were opposed by the Opposition parties. The €2 billion raised in taxes in our budget was opposed by the Opposition parties. The €2 billion required in expenditure and which everybody in the social partnership——

Leaders' Questions (4 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: The €2 billion required in expenditure, which the social partners agreed was the first step needed to help bring order back to our public finances, was opposed by the Opposition parties.

Leaders' Questions (4 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: Therefore, when somebody talks about——

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (3 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: I have made: two appointments to the Board of the National Economic and Social Council (NESC); Mr Tom Parlon, Construction Industry Federation and Ms Siobhan Masterson, IBEC; one appointment to the National Economic and Social Forum (NESF); Senator Maria Corrigan; and three appointments to the Council of the National Centre for Partnership and Performance (NCPP); Mr Dermot Curran, Department...