Results 10,901-10,920 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 2008)

Brian Cowen: We certainly would not have a pension reserve of €19 billion for future liabilities, which is the purpose of this discussion.

Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 2008)

Brian Cowen: The purpose of this discussion is to debate how to meet future pension liabilities. While the Government was putting that 1% of GNP aside, it was still running surpluses and ensuring it could operate a capital programme from cash. Now however, when I try to borrow modestly to invest ambitiously, I am criticised for the deficit that might arise as a result. It is hard to win when one goes...

Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 2008)

Brian Cowen: The Estimates Volume provides information on voted expenditure by Departments and offices in respect of administration and programme costs. This includes expenditure in respect of civil servants' pension costs, as provided for in Vote 7, superannuation and retired allowances, and the pension costs of other public servants, including teachers, members and former members of the Garda...

Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 2008)

Brian Cowen: While I too want to avoid the political arena, I do not think it fair to claim these increases were blindly approved. Account is taken of the public-private pension differential in the benchmarking process.

Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 2008)

Brian Cowen: Actuarial advice was taken to that effect and it was set out in much greater detail and transparency than was the case for the initial report. We can agree or disagree with the recommendations but we should fairly characterise the professionals involved and the work they did. I accept the point about the costs which are incurred when permanent and pensionable posts are created. How to move...

Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 2008)

Brian Cowen: I do not want to dismiss the Deputy's suggestion but actuarial advice is available on an independent basis to the Pensions Board, which has a statutory remit on advising the Government on pensions policy generally and is one of the vehicles through which we are proceeding with the pension policy review. It is a matter of examining that and deciding whether a case can be made. There is also...

Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 2008)

Brian Cowen: Clearly, the demographics will change in coming decades. Some years ago we made assumptions based on certain population changes which did not prove correct. The assumptions may be robust in the short term but the further ahead one predicts, the lower the certainty of accuracy. The demographics ratio between those of working age and pensioners will obviously deteriorate, from 4:1 at present...

Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 2008)

Brian Cowen: Of course we do. Sometimes it is assumed that everything can be transformed with a wave of a magic wand.

Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 2008)

Brian Cowen: It is being looked at.

Tax Collection. (24 Apr 2008)

Brian Cowen: The provisions of section 848A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 govern the operation of the scheme for tax relief on donations to eligible charities and other approved bodies. The administration of those provisions is the responsibility of the Revenue Commissioners. To avail of the donations scheme a charity must be specifically authorised by the Revenue Commissioners for the purposes of...

Tax Collection. (24 Apr 2008)

Brian Cowen: As I said in my primary reply, the review is part of the ongoing monitoring of the authorisations, many of which are coming up for renewal at the same time. It was suggested in the media that this was a result of a fundamental concern by Revenue that matters were not as they should be. The tenor and content of my reply is to the effect that Revenue is not indicating that this is the case....

Tax Collection. (24 Apr 2008)

Brian Cowen: I will try to get whatever further information I can for the Deputy in terms of what numbers are being examined at present. It is not correct to suggest there is a preference with respect to types of schools. Since 2001 all primary and post-primary schools providing education based on a programme prescribed and approved by the Minister for Education and Science automatically qualify as...

Tax Collection. (24 Apr 2008)

Brian Cowen: I thank Deputy Bruton and Deputy Burton for their kind remarks. I know they are meant in the best possible way. As has been said, in the rough and tumble of politics we crossed swords now and again but never in a way that affected personal relationships, even if we did not foster them as much as we should have. As regards the exalted office, I will have to talk to Deputy Bruton about a...

Fiscal Policy. (24 Apr 2008)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together. At budget time, an Exchequer deficit of €4,866 million was projected for this year. This was based on an economic growth rate of 3% in GDP terms. However, a number of risks to the economic forecast were identified, including the possibility of a sharper slowdown in the US, the possibility of adverse exchange rate movements, the...

Fiscal Policy. (24 Apr 2008)

Brian Cowen: My budget stance in recent years has been appropriate. I do not accept that the stance involved the building of permanent spending programmes with the benefits associated with improvements in economic performance, including surpluses. Much of the surplus beyond what was predicted was put towards reducing debt, and that is why our ratio of GDP to debt was practically halved in a ten-year...

Fiscal Policy. (24 Apr 2008)

Brian Cowen: There is no problem at all. I will answer all questions to the best of my ability. The Deputy made some assertions that I want to rebut. If I do not do so, he might assume I agree with them. It is clear that if the goals set out in the programmes under the national development plan are not met, prioritisation of programmes will be required. As members of the euro area, we must adhere to...

Fiscal Policy. (24 Apr 2008)

Brian Cowen: Yes, I do. Once again I reject the assertions made in the Deputy's question. The first part of her critique was a suggestion that my fiscal policy was not sufficiently loose in terms of not meeting the current programme, which the Deputy and many other Deputies in her party and the main Opposition party continue to call for. By the same token she then refers to a change to a deficit in the...

Fiscal Policy. (24 Apr 2008)

Brian Cowen: I will take Deputy Burton's question first. The Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector, the Labour Court and all the pay determination bodies that are in place have served us for, in some cases, more than 40 years in dealing with some aspects of public pay remuneration. The pay increases are being made available to the Judiciary and senior people in Garda, Army etc. to...

Fiscal Policy. (24 Apr 2008)

Brian Cowen: We will manage the nation's monetary affairs in the context of our programme for Government, which is seeking to achieve broad budgetary balance. Clearly in the event of the anticipated growth rates not being achieved we will need to adapt to that situation, otherwise we would not achieve broad budgetary balance. The questions tabled asked what revised expenditure Estimates etc. I would...

Fiscal Policy. (24 Apr 2008)

Brian Cowen: I am explaining my stance, which is a fair point to make. The Deputy put his point. I do not believe that we should at this stage, as other governments have done at various stages in an economic cycle like this one, resile on the capital programme, particularly in those areas for which we get a return.