Results 8,341-8,360 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: Under the development plan over the next seven years we intend to meet the needs of some 100,000 households in all of these categories. Housing remains a priority of our capital investment programme. I believe €1.5 billion this year and commensurate money next year is an indication of our determination in not only working with the industry, but also bringing about certain changes in how...

Northern Ireland Issues. (10 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together. At its sixth plenary meeting last February, the North-South Ministerial Council noted the completion of the Government's consultation with the social partners on the subject of the North-South consultative forum and noted the position regarding the review of the civic forum in Northern Ireland. Discussions with the social partners and various...

Northern Ireland Issues. (10 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: On the first matter, I agree that I would have rather seen the civic forum established far sooner. It requires political sponsorship and support. As the Deputy knows, we have been working through the North-South Ministerial Council in an effort to carry out whatever preparations people wanted in order to establish the scope of the issues. This is not an area of activity like social...

Northern Ireland Issues. (10 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: I agree with the Deputy. Historically, much of the leadership in the area of contact and working together has been in sporting and other voluntary organisations which have always ensured, to the greatest extent possible, that politics has not been allowed to hinder or in any way separate contact between people who have common interests, whether these be sporting, recreational, cultural or...

Northern Ireland Issues. (10 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: I agree the civic forum should be set up as soon as possible. I believe also that if it is to have the beneficial effect it could have we must accord to it the importance and capacity it can have, rather than a greater capacity. For example, the Deputy mentioned the question of a common currency. Any and every matter can certainly be discussed in a civic forum but these are major political...

Northern Ireland Issues. (10 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: The establishment of the North-South forum is a strand 2 matter, which is a matter between the Executive and the Government. The British Government has no problem with its establishment, but the mechanics of establishing it require consent and agreement on the structure by the Executive and this Administration, and we would like to proceed with that quickly. A review is currently taking...

Northern Ireland Issues. (10 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: The answer is "Yes". Such practical co-operation is precisely the sort of thing to which a forum could lend inter-community support. The idea of the civic forum is to articulate support from within the communities for these type of initiatives and to stretch policy makers in making responses commensurate with the articulated aspirations. This is precisely the value of a civic forum with a...

Constitutional Issues. (10 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 to 5, inclusive, together. In replies to parliamentary questions in both November 2006 and November 2007, the former Taoiseach reported comprehensively on the progress being made in the implementation of the findings of the Sullivan report. The Attorney General has now informed me that all of the recommendations have been fully implemented.

Constitutional Issues. (10 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: I take that point. I was going to say in my initial reply that I would like a specific question put down on that matter in the interests of accuracy so that we could put on the record of the House the exact circumstances that arose in the case of the specific instance referred to. I recall that issue but I do not have exact recall of the circumstances of it. I recall in general terms the...

Constitutional Issues. (10 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: The Sullivan review arose in the context of an information and notification deficit that occurred in the Attorney General's office over the handling of the CC case. The review's purpose was to ensure that in those cases that met the criteria of being important and sensitive, there would be arrangements in place whereby the Attorney General would be informed and consulted on their progress....

Constitutional Issues. (10 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: The supplementary information I have on foot of the questions tabled relates generally to the Sullivan report rather than the present legal status of statutory rape laws as a result of the CC case. I would have to check whether any lessons are to be learned or reviews drawn up to further amend the law, or perhaps a question should be tabled to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law...

Constitutional Issues. (10 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: No, I do not have any information on that. Tabling another question to that effect would be the better option.

Constitutional Issues. (10 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: As I stated in the original reply, I am informed by the Attorney General that all the report's recommendations have been implemented. A three-person panel of experts, a risk management group, also made recommendations which were referred to in the Sullivan report. Appropriate action has been taken to implement that group's recommendations and its members have been informed. A legal...

Constitutional Issues. (10 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: I cannot let that pass, it is an unjustified criticism.

Constitutional Issues. (10 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: In the context of the issue, the need to deal with the drafting of that legislation and obtain approval of the Government is the time in which one can proceed. If one indicated publicly before then, one could have prejudiced——

Constitutional Issues. (10 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: It was raised on 14 October during the case. It had serious public policy implications. It was important that new law be put in place before the matter was heard and adjudicated on. That happened within a two week period from when the point was raised by the High Court judge. The counsel representing the Attorney General brought it to the attention of the latter, who brought it to the...

Constitutional Issues. (10 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: That is only fair. Any fair-minded person would regard that as a speedy and comprehensive response.

Order of Business (10 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: It is proposed to take No. 10, motion re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of a Council Decision on the strengthening of Eurojust amending Council Decision 2002/187/JHA, back from committee; and No. 2, Health Bill 2008 — Order for Second Stage and Second Stage. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that the Dáil shall sit later than 8.30 p.m. and business shall be...

Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: Discussions between the Government and the Irish pig processing sector adjourned early this morning and resumed at 10 o'clock this morning. Progress was made during the discussion and I remain confident of achieving an outcome which will facilitate the early resumption of processing. There is no lack of urgency on the part of the Government; it is acutely aware of the impact the suspension...

Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: We took the decisive action over the weekend. If his position is that we should have taken into account commercial considerations at the same time as dealing with the primacy of the consumer issue——