Results 13,121-13,140 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: The programme for Government will be published as soon as practicable. It will be in line with what has been published and debated in the public domain. The Deputy will have five years to hold us to account.

Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: With respect, I cannot help the Deputy, as it is a question for the relevant Minister. I am sure it can be replied to. Like every directive, this one is subject to national law if it is to have effect in this jurisdiction. At this remove, I cannot say what the state of play is in respect of the preparation of legislation that will enable us to fulfil our requirements.

Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: There may be a good reason, but I cannot say. The Minister should be able to answer.

Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: No legislation is promised.

Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: The only general response I can give is to say the legislation will be dealt with tomorrow and that all Bills and amendments considered are passed by the Government with the advice of the Attorney General, which would be contrary to the Deputy's contention regarding section 51.

Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: I understand it is the intention to establish the committees of the House early in the next session.

Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: I am unaware of the details. The issue is for consideration as the Dáil goes on vacation.

Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: The Taoiseach indicated in response to a query last week or the previous week that he was open to determining in which way the arrangements of the House could better serve all of us. He emphasised that when we discussed Dáil reform, it was a two-way street. We need an Executive that is accountable to Parliament and parliamentary time and procedures that enable Ministers to get on with...

Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: The Chief Whip will deal with his opposite numbers on this matter in the coming months. Let us try to get the show on the road better than we have done to date.

Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: I cannot tell the Deputy the details of the Bill which is expected to be published sometime this year.

Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: I agree with the Deputy. I am conscious that we do not spend all our careers on one side of the House. I have always been of the view that there is a need for better interaction between Ministers and committees. It is unfortunately the case that committee chairmen sometimes pursue a certain agenda and there does not seem to be much synergy between those agendas and that of the Executive,...

Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: ——can conduct their affairs in such a way that there is some alignment between what is happening at Executive level and what is happening at parliamentary committee level. That may not be possible in practical terms but there is a need, given the number of committees, to see how they can work at some level of alignment with what the Government is trying to do. This will better allow the...

Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: I understand the Bill is on the Seanad Order Paper and will be dealt with in that House in the first instance before coming to the Dáil for debate. Community rating and risk equalisation are central to a viable and competitive private insurance market in Ireland.

Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: I am not sure whether specific legislation is promised. A parliamentary question to the Minister would indicate his intentions in this regard.

Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: I understand motorists can be tested for various substances.

Leaders' Questions (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: The commitments made in the programme for Government stand on the basis of the overall macro-economic stance the Government is taking. It is important to point out that yesterday's results are in line with expectations and profile. By the end of the year we hope to come in within the limits we set ourselves, as has been the case in the past. There will not be windfall gains which have been...

Leaders' Questions (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: The macro-economic strategy which was robustly scrutinised during the course of the campaign and which withstood scrutiny, unlike others, indicated that in the period of government we had an intention to continue with tax reforms, moderate growth in current spending, increase capital spending and, I hope, continue the unprecedented economic performance seen in the past decade.

Leaders' Questions (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: Obviously, it is the intention of the Government to honour all of our commitments in the programme for Government, as negotiated, over the period of office of the Government. I cannot indicate to Deputy Rabbitte at this remove, not having the line responsibility, as to when and how we can proceed with the continuing examination of that issue and come forward with a means by which we can deal...

Leaders' Questions (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: I think it is reasonable for me to state, as I have, that it is our intention to proceed with the implementation of the programme for Government during the tenure of office of this Administration, that the priorities outlined there are ones with which line Ministers will now proceed having taken up office within the past few weeks, and that, as Deputy Rabbitte will be aware, it will be the...

Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: The Order of Business shall be No. 11, Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad] — Second and Subsequent Stages (Resumed); and No. 10a, motion re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Agreement between the European Union and the United States of America on the processing and transfer of passenger name record data by air carriers to the United States Department of Homeland Security. It is proposed,...