Results 7,941-7,960 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Departmental Staff. (4 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: Deputy Gilmore has his own strong commitment to it.

Departmental Staff. (4 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: My answer to such questions is that we need all people to work hard in the jobs they have been given. We also need to reduce the cost of Government and I have indicated that a 10% cut in the offices of Ministers and Ministers of State is a way to do that. We need people and political authority, people with political initiative and people running their Departments in that way. I think we...

Departmental Staff. (4 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: There are many who have taken up advisory positions for many Ministers in different Administrations who have had long-term public service careers. Many of them — from memory, perhaps even the majority, certainly in my party — will have been people with a long-term involvement with the system. They understand how policy is formulated and how one interacts between Departments in order to...

Departmental Staff. (4 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: I have indicated that some staff are members of Civil Service pension schemes, and for whom separate superannuation arrangements are in place, which is the Department of Finance's responsibility. There are members of staff who are not members of Civil Service pension schemes and they get a contribution towards their pension fund of 11% of salary, which they arrange separately. There are...

Departmental Staff. (4 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: The questions for my Department or any other Department regarding the role of advisers are specific to individuals. As the Deputy knows, from time to time, firms are employed for their expertise. Various guidelines and rules on public procurement are laid out as to the basis on which that advice would be sought and used within any Department's structure. The Deputy should table a...

Departmental Staff. (4 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: I cannot give an accurate reply to that question. Similarly to the Exchequer payroll savings of 3%, I have indicated that within Departments and the offices of Ministers and Ministers of State I would like to see a reduction of 10% in the costs of running those offices in whatever way that is required. We must give flexibility to Departments as to how that might happen in particular...

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 23, inclusive, together. Together with my ministerial colleagues, I met with First Minister Peter Robinson, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and their colleagues at the seventh plenary meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council in Magee College, Derry on Friday, 23 January. We had a very wide-ranging and practical discussion with a focus on how...

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: There is no room for complacency with regard to dissident activity. As the Deputy knows, the security services have been keeping a close eye on and have been involved in monitoring and surveillance of activities. Thankfully, they have been very successful in intervening and ensuring that certain major catastrophes did not happen in the past, given the malign intent of these people to cause...

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: That question is beyond the remit of these questions. Perhaps questions to the Tánaiste would elicit the answer.

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: She will be very clear and concise if she knows the information that is required.

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: No deal.

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: The Eames-Bradley report is somewhat outside the remit of these questions also, but I will try to be helpful. I commend the group on the extraordinary effort it put into its difficult task, and particularly the widespread consultations in which it engaged during the course of its work. Finding consensus or any agreed way forward around issues coming out of a conflict is very difficult, if...

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: With regard to the North-South parliamentary body it is not true to state there has been no progress. The Ceann Comhairle and the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Mr. Willie Hay, are to be commended for the efforts they are making to ensure contacts between the two institutions are encouraged. Visits have taken place both ways. This is gaining its own momentum with the agreement...

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: With regard to the North-South Ministerial Council and trade matters, one of the great hopes and legacies of having a peace process is the win-win situation for both sides. This is as true for Border regions and areas as it is for any other part of the island. Trying to achieve fiscal harmonisation is difficult. The powers with regard to this matter reside in Westminster as far as Northern...

Northern Ireland Issues. (4 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: The Minister for Foreign Affairs met the families only last week. I will have him report to me and determine where we can take the matter from here.

Leaders' Questions (4 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: The figures are being released today. I do not know what the normal protocol is but I have no problem giving them to the House now. The January live register figure will be 36,500 higher than the December 2008 figure. The overall figure will be 327,900 in January. That is an indication of the change that has taken place in recent times. The whole purpose of the discussions with the social...

Leaders' Questions (4 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: Any increase in unemployment must be dealt with to the best extent possible. To compare this with earlier times and the comment regarding 100,000 people out of work is to make comparisons with a totally different country.

Leaders' Questions (4 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: The last time this figure was exceeded we were talking about 15% or 16% unemployment. The current figure represents approximately 9.1% or 9.2% unemployment. I make that point while in no way diminishing the position. There are far more people at work now, and having seen figures recently, there are still approximately 1.88 million people working. It is important to make that point. There...

Leaders' Questions (4 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: With regard to the other fiscal measures referred to by the Deputy we must work within the budgetary parameters set out for ourselves and we will work, both internally in Government and with social partners, to see what way we can help those people who lose their job in training, upskilling or reskilling. We will also look to other measures to see what way we can identify those jobs which...

Leaders' Questions (4 Feb 2009)

Brian Cowen: It is not an either-or situation. We must bring stability to the public finances and without that, the question of progress or regaining prosperity and growth does not arise. We must stabilise the public finance position. It is not a fixation exclusive of all other considerations but a necessary part of the rectification and correction needed to ensure Ireland comes through this very...