Results 7,441-7,460 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Order of Business (3 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: No matter how helpful one is there is always a problem.

Order of Business (3 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: There is no date for the second Bill. I would make the point that we are not a designated tax haven.

Order of Business (3 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: Níl aon dáta agam go fóill.

Order of Business (3 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: B'fhéidir. Níl a fhios agam. Níl aon dáta ar an nóta atá agam. Tá sé ar intinn againn.

Order of Business (3 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: Ní raibh mé críochnaithe leis an Teachta Ó Sé. Níl a fhios agam cén dáta ar a mbeidh an Bille againn. Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil sé tábhachtach. Tabharfaidh mé freagra don Teachta chomh luath agus is féidir liom.

Decentralisation Programme. (3 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: It is not a question of duplication. It is a question of having a facility available to a Minister were he or she to be located there and working from there and having an office in Dublin. It is not a question of having just one office per Ministry and having to decide where that might be. From an efficacy point of view, a Minister must have the ability to operate from whatever location...

Decentralisation Programme. (3 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: No office space has been vacated in the city by the Department of the Taoiseach's office. I reject Deputy Bannon's contention that there was any deception. There are 40 locations with decentralised staff under the programme. There are 12 locations where sufficient progress has not been made for that to happen. As the Deputy knows, there have been particular industrial relations issues in...

Departmental Procurement Policies. (3 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 to 6, inclusive, together. The corporate procurement plan in place in my Department was developed to implement the requirements of the national procurement policy framework published by the Department of Finance. It reflects my Department's commitment to effective and efficient resource allocation and service provision as prescribed by the Public Service...

Departmental Procurement Policies. (3 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: I do not have that sort of detailed information. I can answer in a general manner. The unit has been set up within the Office of Public Works and works to leverage the public service's buying power and organises procurement across the public service of common goods and services such as office equipment, furniture, vehicles, electricity and fuel. Where better value for money can be obtained...

Departmental Procurement Policies. (3 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: I understand my Department has complied with the direction on reducing——

Departmental Procurement Policies. (3 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: I believe so. I do not have specific details but I will get them for the Deputy. I am sure this has been complied with. A meeting has been sought by the PRII. I recall seeing correspondence to that effect. I do not know whether a meeting has been set. I have no problem meeting its representatives and I will let the Deputy know the outcome.

Departmental Procurement Policies. (3 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: That question would be best put to the Minister of State. The task force established to set out how to implement the recommendations of the report published in July reported before Christmas and the Minister of State is in the process of setting up all of that now. A question to him would be better, as I can give only the information I have.

Departmental Procurement Policies. (3 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: Yes, he has that policy responsibility.

Departmental Procurement Policies. (3 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: Procurement policy and practice must conform to certain core principles and must be accountable, competitive and non-discriminatory, provide for equality of treatment and be fair, transparent and conducted with probity and integrity. As the Deputies have stated, those kinds of consideration have come into play in respect of what were formally known as "Buy Irish" campaigns, which did not...

Departmental Procurement Policies. (3 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: No, it related to where professional fees are charged on the basis of contractual arrangements between professionals providing the State with services. The tendering process deals with the question of value for money more generally. As for Deputy Ó Caoláin's points, the issue pertains to the introduction of reforms such as e-auctioning, whereby people could offer a price on a certain...

Departmental Procurement Policies. (3 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: It is and I do not have the specific answer for Deputy Doyle. However, I take the point, in respect of the preparation of tenders, on the need to do things, which obviously are legal, and no one would ask anyone to do anything that was not above board, but to do them in a way that is helpful.

Departmental Procurement Policies. (3 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: That is something that should be considered.

Decentralisation Programme. (3 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together. Of the 179 civil servants currently serving in my Department, 28 have applied through the central applications facility to relocate under the decentralisation programme. The breakdown by grade is two principal officers; seven assistant principals; five higher executive officers; four administrative officers; five executive...

Decentralisation Programme. (3 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: Any such sites will continue to be managed by the OPW as part of its portfolio. It is important to point out that to date a total of €276 million has been spent on the programme but there have been offsettings, savings or reallocation of property to other schemes valued in the region of €556 million.

Decentralisation Programme. (3 Mar 2009)

Brian Cowen: The right thing to do in the new economic circumstances in which the Government found itself in preparation for the 2009 Estimates was to confirm that there will be a deferral in terms of the provision of accommodation pending review in 2011 in respect of those sites where it was felt, first, there was not a contract in place and, second, it would not have been possible to proceed between now...