Results 13,241-13,260 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage. (3 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: ——the investment in fourth level education and the reskilling that is going to take place under the national development plan mean nothing. A total of €50 billion——

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage. (3 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: ——is being provided under the national development plan——

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage. (3 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: ——to reskill the workforce to ensure those who currently occupy jobs that may not exist in the future will have an opportunity to seek jobs in other areas.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage. (3 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: The idea that the country is nothing other than a building site——

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage. (3 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: What the Senator said was——

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage. (3 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: ——that we are doing nothing——

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage. (3 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: ——to replace jobs and that we are dependent on the construction industry. The record will show that is what he said. I am merely making the point that we are at a level of economic and social development that requires more investment. We will have a motorway system by the end of 2010, we will build more hospitals and we will be able to continue with the summer works scheme during the...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage. (3 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: Fine Gael came forward with a proposal.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage. (3 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: Fine Gael thought it was the silver bullet. It thought that this was the one that would help it win the economic argument.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage. (3 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: The Fine Gael thinking was they would not get the Government parties to talk about the 600,000 jobs they created.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage. (3 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: They would not get them to talk about economic growth which has been two and a half times the European average. They would not get them to talk about the investment we are seeing, including foreign direct investment, and new jobs. Fine Gael would talk about stamp duty and, in doing so, the people would be greedy, would think they were going to get something and would all run for it. That...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage. (3 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: They re-elected this Government.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage. (3 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: I am glad to say it has been complemented by a Green Party which will also assist us in ensuring our future is a sustainable one that will continue to progress in respect of the solid achievements that have been the hallmark of this Administration over the past decade.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage. (3 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: This is a proposal to bring stability to a marketplace which was unnerved by a cack-handed effort by the Opposition to win the general election on an issue the people did not buy because they knew it just did not make sense.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage. (3 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: I wish the outgoing Cathaoirleach well on his retirement and the Acting Chairman, Senator Mary Henry. It has always been a pleasure to come and listen to the contributions of the Upper House, where a far more sedate and intellectual atmosphere pervades. It is great to see that Members of the university panel have taken time out of their busy schedule to be with us as well.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage. (3 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: I look forward to the reforms they are anticipating and I hope it is not turkeys voting for Christmas. Anyway, let us look forward to a good representative university panel——

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage. (3 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: We are obviously here to ensure the place is alive today. I wish everyone well and hope everything goes well for Members. It is with a sigh of relief I can say this on the far side of an election. I thank everyone for inviting me to speak on the Finance (No. 2) Bill 2007. This is my fourth time to speak on Finance Bills in this House. Members will recall I first addressed the House in...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage. (3 Jul 2007)

Brian Cowen: In next December's Budget Statement I intend to increase the ceiling of mortgage interest relief for first-time buyers from €8,000 to €10,000 for single people and from €16,000 to €20,000 for couples or widowed people. This will see single first-time buyers receiving up to €167 in mortgage interest relief directly into their bank accounts every month while couples will receive up...

Written Answers — Disabled Drivers: Disabled Drivers (28 Jun 2007)

Brian Cowen: In relation to the issue of delays for appeal assessments by the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal, I wish to inform the Deputy that following a period of difficulty in organising sufficient meetings of the Medical Board of Appeal, I reconstituted the Board in early 2005, and have incrementally expanded the panel of doctors from three to seventeen members. This facilitated more...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (28 Jun 2007)

Brian Cowen: I should say, in the first instance, that no tax reliefs have been specifically designed or introduced to encourage support for the Government's plans for co-located private hospitals on public lands. The scheme of capital allowances for the construction or refurbishment of buildings used as private hospitals was introduced in the Finance Act 2001 and came into effect in May 2002. Provided...