Results 9,941-9,960 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Leaders' Questions (1 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: In regard to an analysis of what is happening in the economy, the drop in output in the residential construction sector has been a major reason for the reduction in growth rates to the current level. That will be announced in a transparent and orderly fashion by the Government.

Leaders' Questions (1 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: That is the orderly way to proceed. We have listened to the various forecasts and will make our figures available to the public tomorrow. The Government has been discussing this matter and will come forward with its decisions following publication of the official figures.

Leaders' Questions (1 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: We will make our decisions at next week's meeting and then come to the House.

Order of Business (1 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: It is proposed to take No. 11, motion re referral to select committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the terms of the International Convention against Doping; No. 12, motion re referral to select committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the terms of the agreement on social security between the Government of Ireland and the Government of the Republic of Korea; No. 20,...

Order of Business (1 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: The Department's remit is to facilitate a thorough investigation of the site and to report to Government thereon to allow for a Government decision on the future use of the site. The Minister will report the outcome of this exercise to Government in the coming months. In the meantime, a contractor engaged in interim surface clearance works disturbed a quantity of hazardous material on the...

Ministerial Responsibilities. (1 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy's first question was about Dáil reform. We must ensure the provision of considered and accurate information for the House is not supplanted by topicality, as if we were here to provide a day-to-day commentary on newsworthy issues. The Parliament must do its business according to the priorities it sets itself, which must include policy formulation and dealing with issues that...

Ministerial Responsibilities. (1 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: It beggars belief but these things happen.

Ministerial Responsibilities. (1 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy raised this question because he has heard about this, as have I. What was being misrepresented was that the ten year exemption is up and that the blanket bog and special areas of conservation issue comes into play. This does not mean people will not be able to pursue their turbary rights which are not affected by special areas of conservation. Perhaps opponents of the treaty...

Ministerial Responsibilities. (1 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: The matter was referred to the all-party committee to see if all-party consensus can be achieved. Consensus has not yet been reached due to a difference of opinion and we will have to see how we proceed. We must take on board what the Director of Public Prosecutions is saying in contributing to the debate.

Ministerial Responsibilities. (1 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: We had more than the Deputy's side, actually.

Ministerial Responsibilities. (1 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: It is not the case that Ireland's "No" vote will lead to the EU having 27 Commissioners — that is precisely the point.

Ministerial Responsibilities. (1 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: The Nice treaty provided that when the EU reached 27 member states, the number of Commissioners would be reduced, although a unanimous vote is required to that end.

Ministerial Responsibilities. (1 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: No. The Lisbon treaty was actually different. We will not go over it again.

Ministerial Responsibilities. (1 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: We lost the referendum. I am aware of that. I will restate the position in the interests of accuracy. I would hate the Deputy to be under a continuing misapprehension about what is in the treaty. The Lisbon treaty provided that all 27 member states could continue to have a Commissioner until 2014.

Ministerial Responsibilities. (1 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: No, the Deputy is wrong again. The treaty provided that, if agreed, the number of Commissioners could be reduced to 18, subject to the principle of equal rotation. It also provided that the number of Commissioners could stay at 27, if unanimous agreement could be reached on that. That is what it said. It was not in the Sinn Féin literature, but that is what the treaty said. As the...

Ministerial Responsibilities. (1 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: I am absolutely satisfied that, in order to discharge political accountability, two or three democratically elected politicians — a Minister and one or two Ministers of State — should be asked to run a Department which may have many hundreds of thousands of people working for it. I do not see what could be more respectful of our democratic institutions than to give political...

Social Partnership. (1 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 to 8, inclusive, together. At the social partnership plenary meeting on 15 February 2008, the Government invited the social partners to participate in a formal review of Towards 2016, as provided for under the agreement. Given that the terms of the pay agreement for the private sector expired in March, the review process includes negotiations on a new pay...

Social Partnership. (1 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: No pay offer has been made by the Government at this point. We are bringing the published official estimates on the performance of the economy in the first six months to the table so the social partners will be informed precisely as to what the Government regards as the short-term and medium-term prospects. Doing so will comprise an important input into the talks in an effort to determine...

Ministerial Responsibilities. (1 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together. The Government appointed Deputy Pat Carey as Government Chief Whip and Minister of State at my Department and the Department of Defence. Deputy Dick Roche was appointed Minister of State at my Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for European affairs. As Chief Whip, the Minister of State,...

Ministerial Responsibilities. (1 Jul 2008)

Brian Cowen: The number of Ministers of State I have appointed is appropriate in terms of the responsibilities they have been given. Some of these responsibilities are cross-departmental, an aspect that needs to be further developed. Following the OECD report on the reform of the public service, I am mindful of how we can better organise government with a view to ensuring we assign to Ministers of State...