Results 13,141-13,160 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: On No. 11——

Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: ——I understand that there was a debate on this on Thursday last. The Minister is anxious to ensure that the Bill is enacted before we rise. The principal purpose of the Bill is to provide the necessary statutory basis to facilitate the implementation of freeflow open road tolling on toll-based national road schemes. It also provides for redesignation of certain high-quality...

Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: Subject to the agreement of the Whips, that is acceptable.

Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: I will communicate with the Minister to ensure the query is dealt with.

Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: The Government decided on this issue yesterday.

Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: Unlike elements of the Labour Party, the Government speaks as one. The current EU-US interim agreement on the use of passenger name record data will expire on 31 July. It was approved by the Dáil and Seanad on 11 October 2006, as required under Article 29.4.6° of the Constitution. Earlier this year the European Commission was mandated by the Council to negotiate a new agreement in...

Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: Given what we have seen in London and Glasgow, there are security issues, of which we must be mindful. We must ensure the safety of passengers is paramount.

Seanad: Ethics In Public Office (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: As already stated, there are different views on this matter. I respect from where people are coming because everyone is trying to find the right balance. To take the example of a person receiving a donation of €1,500 and using it in conjunction with other moneys he or she might be saving for political purposes, what he or she received would not then be for personal purposes only. In my...

Seanad: Ethics In Public Office (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: This amendment of section 23 of the principal Act inserts new provisions for an investigation by the commission under the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995. The new provisions will provide that the standards commission, where it considers it appropriate to do so, will be able to investigate possible contraventions of the new requirement. The new provisions also provide that any such...

Seanad: Ethics In Public Office (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: We have already dealt with the principle behind the figure of €650 being raised to €2,000. As regards the other thresholds covered in section 6, remuneration from a trade or profession is being increased from €2,600 to €5,000; and the value of shares from €13,000 to €20,000. The section also covers interests in land and contracts for the supply of goods and services to the...

Seanad: Ethics In Public Office (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: I thank those Senators, both last night and today, who contributed to what was a good debate. I wish well those Senators who are present, and also those who are not because they are involved in the upcoming campaign. I wish Senator Hanafin, on my side of the House, well, as well as Senator Cassidy and I congratulate Senator Cassidy on his appointment as Leader of the House. I wish Senator...

Seanad: Ethics In Public Office (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: Section 2 amends section 5, statements of Members' registerable interests for clerks, of the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 in two ways. First, it amends the 1995 Act to require Oireachtas Members, including officeholders, to furnish to the Standards in Public Office Commission a statement that the Member is in compliance with the new requirements on benefits from friends that have been...

Seanad: Ethics In Public Office (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: There is a code of conduct for Members of the Dáil and Seanad which outlines that it is open to people to accept hospitality up to a certain value. The issue is that people need to be able to see that there is no conflict. It is more about people believing there is in place a regulatory framework which ensures no conflict will arise. As I stated last night, currently there are no limits...

Seanad: Ethics In Public Office (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: I agree with the Senator that the regulations may not add to the attractiveness of having a public career but I hope they are not an insurmountable impediment for those who are determined to do so. I take the Senator's point. People have that disposition when they think about public life. In the framework we are developing by way of a series of legislative enactments during the past ten...

Seanad: Ethics In Public Office (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: It is a matter of judgment and I do not claim to have exclusive wisdom on this. Political donations are not covered by this legislation. The legislation is not changing the threshold to €2,000 for the amount of a cheque one might receive in support of one's election campaign. That is covered by the Electoral Acts, so there is no change in that regard. Indeed, the example I gave earlier...

Seanad: Ethics In Public Office (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: I wish to be associated with those remarks.

Seanad: Ethics In Public Office (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: For the purposes of clarity, section 3 increases from €650 to €2,000 the monetary threshold at which a gift given to an officeholder by virtue of his or her office is deemed to be a gift to the State. We are not talking about ordinary members but officeholders and increasing the threshold from €650 to €2,000 for gifts given to an officeholder by virtue of his or her office to be...

Seanad: Ethics In Public Office (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: This amendment amends section 15A to be inserted in Part III of the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 so that the opinion to be sought from the Standards in Public Office Commission about acceptance of a benefit from a friend is whether it would not be likely to materially influence the recipient in the performance of his or her official duties. The term "materially influence" appears three...

Seanad: Ethics In Public Office (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: The section relates to gifts to officeholders and Oireachtas Members for personal reasons only and no limit is in place in this regard currently. A limit, therefore, needs to be imposed, and this is agreed. The issue then centres on the definition of "personal reasons" because it has nothing to do with political donations, the performance of one's duty, funding campaigns or one's politics....

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (3 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: I would like to confirm that my Department is proceeding with the Decentralisation Programme as agreed by Government. Following the announcement all necessary resources including staffing were made available in my Department to ensure the success implementation of the programme. It might be helpful if I was to give a brief update on the progress of the programme within my Department and...