Results 9,521-9,540 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Departmental Staff. (24 Sep 2008)

Brian Cowen: The Ministers of State in question have cross-cutting responsibilities which range beyond their work in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. They are doing their jobs. The reduction in payroll costs relates to staff. I have already outlined, on approximately six occasions since I began answering questions on this matter, how that reduction is to be made.

Departmental Staff. (24 Sep 2008)

Brian Cowen: No decision has been made in respect of those matters. All we have done is outline how the 3% payroll cuts are to be achieved.

Departmental Staff. (24 Sep 2008)

Brian Cowen: We should await the outcome of the task force report and the OECD report before considering any of those matters.

Departmental Staff. (24 Sep 2008)

Brian Cowen: I am not aware of the identity of the civil servants who made those comments, if they exist at all. The OECD people stand over their report. I recall reading that article. I am not aware of those who felt so strongly or if they made themselves known.

Data Protection. (24 Sep 2008)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 8, inclusive, together. My Department applies best practice and uses industry standard information security protection devices and software to protect all data within its systems. The Department regularly reviews and updates these security procedures and products as a matter of course. No computers, disks, laptops or memory storage devices containing...

Data Protection. (24 Sep 2008)

Brian Cowen: With regard to the Department of Social and Family Affairs, I understand there is no evidence to suggest the information was used. The Minister provided a full and frank disclosure upon being notified of what had happened so the people concerned could take whatever precautions they wished to ensure their personal information would not be used by anybody in an unauthorised way. It is...

Data Protection. (24 Sep 2008)

Brian Cowen: It is important that the person responsible for equipment lost or stolen notifies authorities as quickly as possible, and immediately if possible. The procedures in place to deal with equipment reported as lost or stolen in my Department is that, where a device is reported missing or stolen, the user account associated with that device is immediately disabled. BlackBerries are centrally...

Data Protection. (24 Sep 2008)

Brian Cowen: The answer to that is not in my knowledge. I have not been notified of any adverse subsequent development beyond the fact that the events took place. The Ministers concerned have brought the events to public notice and have indicated what the people who may have been affected would need to do to reassure themselves that their information was not improperly accessed or used in a way that was...

Data Protection. (24 Sep 2008)

Brian Cowen: This is a matter for the line Minister concerned. I can only observe that, unlike family law proceedings, these are not held in camera. There is not a requirement for privacy, so the question arises of how one can transparently communicate the outcome of these arrangements.

Data Protection. (24 Sep 2008)

Brian Cowen: The question of the level of personal information and the extent to which this infringes privacy issues is a matter that can be taken up by the competent authorities and resolved in a practical manner.

Regulatory Reform. (24 Sep 2008)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 to 13, inclusive, together. Since the publication of the OECD report, Regulatory Reform in Ireland in 2001, significant progress has been made in the area of regulatory reform. In 2004, the Government published the White Paper, Regulating Better, in response to the OECD's report. The White Paper provides the basis for work on the better regulation agenda....

Regulatory Reform. (24 Sep 2008)

Brian Cowen: The 25% target for the reduction of administrative burdens arising from national legislation by 2012 is under the aegis of the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, who has overall responsibility for achieving that target. In this context the Department is leading a cross-departmental project to measure the administrative burdens arising from all national legislation....

Regulatory Reform. (24 Sep 2008)

Brian Cowen: The questions relate to the OECD report on regulatory reform. In response to Deputy Ó Caoláin, there has been a large expansion in broadband usage and more competition in the sector. There has also been a big reduction in the cost of using broadband. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, in recent months produced a further paper setting out how he envisages the sector developing in the...

Order of Business (24 Sep 2008)

Brian Cowen: It is proposed to take No. 10, motion re referral to select committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Double Taxation Relief Orders 2008, Socialist Republic of Vietnam and Republic of Macedonia and Exchange of Information relating to tax matters, Isle of Man; and No. 3, Electoral Amendment Bill 2008 — Order for Second Stage and Second Stage. It is proposed, notwithstanding...

Order of Business (24 Sep 2008)

Brian Cowen: We will be having a debate, at the prerogative of the Opposition, on the economy. We will have questions to the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and this legislative proposal will be brought forward for Second Stage today and tomorrow. With regard to the charge that the Government is not prepared to do anything about the economy, we have brought the date of the...

Order of Business (24 Sep 2008)

Brian Cowen: The important job of Government is to focus on the need to address this issue now and in the next couple of weeks.

Order of Business (24 Sep 2008)

Brian Cowen: The Opposition will put it to the test when it comes forward.

Leaders' Questions (24 Sep 2008)

Brian Cowen: The Government is acting on this matter by bringing forward the date of the budget to 14 October, which is the most important decision that has been made. It is an indication of the seriousness of the intent of Government to take whatever decisions are necessary to meet, as Deputy Kenny has said, the new economic situation we now face. While I do not intend getting involved in a debate...

Leaders' Questions (24 Sep 2008)

Brian Cowen: To answer the Deputy's question in regard of the Comptroller and Auditor General's report, to which he referred, and what I had to say about it yesterday, I made the point that the constitutional responsibility of every Comptroller and Auditor General under any Government is to point out where he feels there has been less than effective value for money or disposal of funds. It is in the...

Leaders' Questions (24 Sep 2008)

Brian Cowen: That is just to make that point. In no way does it take from the merit or demerits of any aspect of any Comptroller and Auditor General's report under any Government and that will continue in the years ahead. Any lessons to be learned from it have to be learned. That is the simple point I was making. Deputy Kenny continually contends that the record of this Government is something that...