Results 8,141-8,160 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Leaders' Questions (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: I have set out the facts we face and the size of the challenge we must confront. We will deal with the problems we face by working together as part of a national effort to confront them.

Leaders' Questions (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: I have had no break.

Leaders' Questions (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: I can. The purpose of Deputy Gilmore's statement is to rubbish the efforts of the Government——

Leaders' Questions (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: ——to provide, first, a stable framework on which to deal with and proceed with this issue.

Leaders' Questions (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: Exactly. Deputy Gilmore has rubbished the proposal without seeing it.

Leaders' Questions (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: The point is that we brought forward, before Christmas, a framework for economic renewal which sets out many action points in a range of areas in terms of the provision of jobs and investment opportunities, continued research and development and so on, namely, the strengths we have built up over the years and which should not be dismissed, even in the context of a recession. We have set out...

Leaders' Questions (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: We have set out that plan and have forwarded it to the European Commission. We are beginning step one in regard to 2009 by finalising our arrangements during the coming week and bringing to the House those savings of €2 billion. That is what we intend to do. Thereafter, we will work with the social partners on an ongoing basis on the basis of an agreed framework for action as to how we...

Leaders' Questions (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: The evidence is that the framework for economic renewal sets out our economic policy priorities, which were provided before Christmas. We said then that if we are to achieve those objectives we must restore order to our public finances. We begin on that road this week. We are involving the social partners during the course of this month in order to achieve broad agreement on the approach...

Leaders' Questions (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: ——so that we can minimise the impact on ordinary people as we proceed with this adjustment.

Order of Business (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: It is proposed to take No. 8, motion re ministerial rota for parliamentary questions; and No. a4, Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2009 — Order for Second Stage and Second and Remaining Stages, which is on the second supplementary Order Paper. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that (1) No. 8 shall be decided without debate; (2) Second and Remaining Stages of...

Order of Business (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: I understand that is correct.

European Council Meetings. (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together. I attended the extraordinary European Council in Brussels on 1 September 2008 which was convened to discuss the crisis in Georgia. I was accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Martin. The European Council strongly condemned the Russian Federation's unilateral decision to recognise the independence of Abkhazia and...

European Council Meetings. (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: I agree with Deputy Gilmore about the timing and tabling of questions. It is open to Members to withdraw questions when such time has passed that they are no longer urgent. It would help us get through questions more quickly if they were topical and contemporaneous.

European Council Meetings. (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: Any change in that area would be more than welcome. In response to the Deputy's supplementary question, one of the benefits of the Lisbon treaty is the proposal for a more permanent representation at the highest levels of the Union for a longer time. The Union very quickly had people from countries which have influence in that region in situ. These include the French President's initiative...

European Council Meetings. (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: The most recent difficulties point to the importance of the EU-Russia relationship in strategic terms. The dependence on gas from that part of the world is quite significant in the context of the EU's energy needs in the coming decades. Any bilateral problems which arise — in this case, between Russia and Ukraine — have had consequences for the supply to others, including new members of...

European Council Meetings. (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: No, I do not have that detail. This question relates to the specific meeting that was held on the Georgia question. As I said in my initial reply, a series of meetings was arranged, arising from that initiative, to ascertain whether this matter can be resolved peaceably. The EU envoy, Mr. Morel, represents the Union's interests in those continuing discussions. The Deputy also raised the...

European Council Meetings. (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: The scope of this question has moved from Abkhazia and South Ossetia to west Mayo, in the Deputy's constituency. The recent decreases in the price of oil and other major commodities are causing serious budgetary problems for the Russian Federation, which is a major supplier of such commodities to many parts of the world. The Deputy's supplementary question relates to this country's...

European Council Meetings. (27 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: One of the fundamental tenets of compliance with international law is respect for the territorial integrity of every country. Regardless of the view taken by the Russian Federation or anybody else of the application for NATO membership by Georgia, it does not entitle any country to invade that territory. By the same token, the decision by the Georgian President to send Georgian troops into...

Business of Dáil (20 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: It is important today that we give effect to the policy decision taken. The draft of this legislation has been available since Thursday evening and the Opposition has received full briefings from the Department of Finance on many of the matters involved. In this regard I send correspondence to the party leaders out of a sense of responsibility that I have, no more than the party leaders, to...

Business of Dáil (20 Jan 2009)

Brian Cowen: ——and when the Dáil returns next week, to deal with any of these matters.