Results 8,701-8,720 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Leaders' Questions. (18 Nov 2008)

Brian Cowen: The record will show otherwise. I will leave it at that.

Leaders' Questions. (18 Nov 2008)

Brian Cowen: As far as the Government is concerned, whatever can be done by the Irish banking system to assist Irish business, will be done.

Leaders' Questions. (18 Nov 2008)

Brian Cowen: The second point relates to the stability of the banking system. The party that opposed the decision which provided stability in the banking system——

Leaders' Questions. (18 Nov 2008)

Brian Cowen: I am entitled to reply. If Deputy Gilmore is entitled to ask a question without interruption, I am entitled to respond with interruption.

Leaders' Questions. (18 Nov 2008)

Brian Cowen: I have answered the question and will continue to answer it.

Leaders' Questions. (18 Nov 2008)

Brian Cowen: I answered the question

Leaders' Questions. (18 Nov 2008)

Brian Cowen: If Deputy Gilmore is going to get involved in this type of nonsense——

Leaders' Questions. (18 Nov 2008)

Brian Cowen: I have answered the question. In regard to the provision of sufficient funding for Irish business, the Government will do everything it can to achieve that.

Leaders' Questions. (18 Nov 2008)

Brian Cowen: The suggestion that recapitalisation is the solution to the problem is not correct. In regard to the European Investment Bank fund, I have informed the House that the Tánaiste has been in touch with the banks and we are waiting to hear if they have been successful in that effort.

Leaders' Questions. (18 Nov 2008)

Brian Cowen: It is not true to suggest that no effort is being made by anybody to try to improve the situation. That is not the situation.

Leaders' Questions. (18 Nov 2008)

Brian Cowen: We are doing all that we can. We are at an advanced stage in respect of a whole range of issues that I cannot discuss this evening——

Leaders' Questions. (18 Nov 2008)

Brian Cowen: ——but which will ensure the stability of the banking system into the future. We will insist on that. It is what we are going to do in the coming days and weeks.

Standards in Public Office. (18 Nov 2008)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together. The code of conduct for office holders was drawn up by the Government pursuant to section 10(2) of the Standards in Public Office Act 2001, following consultation with the Standards in Public Office Commission, and was published in July 2003. Deputies will be aware that the Ethics in Public Office (Amendment) Bill 2007 provides for changes...

Standards in Public Office. (18 Nov 2008)

Brian Cowen: The purpose of the Ethics in Public Office (Amendment) Bill 2007 is to require officeholders and Oireachtas Members not to accept gifts or loans worth in aggregate more than €2,000 in a calendar year from a friend for personal reasons without obtaining the opinion of the Standards in Public Office Commission that acceptance would not be likely to materially influence the recipient in the...

Standards in Public Office. (18 Nov 2008)

Brian Cowen: As the Ceann Comhairle stated, the Deputy's latter question is a matter for the Minister for Finance. The matter will obviously be considered but if the Deputy were to submit a parliamentary question directly to the Minister, he might elicit a more comprehensive reply. On the question relating to thresholds, these are matters of judgment. When I was Minister for Finance, I consulted the...

Standards in Public Office. (18 Nov 2008)

Brian Cowen: It is open to the Whips to agree to the taking of the legislation concerned. There is a great deal of legislation pending this session. I take Deputy Gilmore's point that it was contemplated the Ethics in Public Office (Amendment) Bill 2007 would be dealt with during the last session but that this did not happen. It is unlikely to be completed this session given the necessity to deal with...

Standards in Public Office. (18 Nov 2008)

Brian Cowen: I respectfully suggest that in areas of criminal law, gardaí or law enforcement officers do not act except on foot of a complaint from an individual citizen. In respect of a civil assault, for example, they would not proceed in the absence of other evidence unless they received a complaint. They would not have the evidential basis on which to proceed. It is not true to claim, therefore,...

Standards in Public Office. (18 Nov 2008)

Brian Cowen: I cannot give the Deputy any answers as to whether there have been any gifts declarable over €2,000. That information is not available to me. I do not think so. I am not aware of any.

Standards in Public Office. (18 Nov 2008)

Brian Cowen: I can inquire. If it is in line with the legislation and the code of conduct, I will do so. There are some aspects of the legislation where one submits the inquiry to the commission and the commission confirms one's position. It is not declarable or whatever if it is covered by the legislation. I would need to check for the Deputy. I do not know off-hand. I believe there is also an...

Standards in Public Office. (18 Nov 2008)

Brian Cowen: The commission would retain any information in that respect. If one is offered a gift of a certain value, one applies to the commission to clarify whether it is right to accept it and one abides by its decision. That is the way it works under the provisions of the Ethics in Public Office (Amendment) Bill 2007 that we are discussing.