Results 16,061-16,080 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Fiscal Policy. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: First, it should be noted regarding inflation in health and education that these sectors have relatively small weights in the basket of consumer goods and services and, hence, their impact on overall inflation is relatively low. Second, inflation in health partly reflects increases in GP and dentist fees which are outside the control of Government. Regarding the increases in gas and...

Prevention of Corruption. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: As the Deputy is aware, the GRECO initiative, the group of states against corruption, is a body set up under the aegis of the Council of Europe to monitor and evaluate measures against corruption in member states. A recent evaluation recommended that Ireland should introduce guidelines and training for public officials about reporting instances of corruption, or suspicions of corruption,...

Prevention of Corruption. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: The Government has given considerable consideration to the issue. The Deputy will be aware that on 7 March my colleague, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, explained our approach in some detail in a speech on the Whistleblowers Protection Bill 1999, which was tabled by Deputy Rabbitte and to which the Deputy referred. The Minister outlined a number of the complex legal issues...

Prevention of Corruption. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I did not make the response the Deputy describes and it is a misrepresentation to suggest I did. I simply made the point that one must consider the need to ensure the relationship between the Civil Service and Government is not compromised or undermined. I also noted that while it is one matter to consider a system designed to deal with wrongdoing or corruption, one also requires a means to...

Fiscal Policy. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: As I indicated in my reply to Question No. 76 on 28 February, I wrote to my ministerial colleagues on 20 October last enclosing a copy of my address of the same date to the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and requesting them to ensure their Departments take all the necessary steps to implement the measures set out in my address. My Department issued a circular letter to all Departments on 25...

Fiscal Policy. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: The additional matters I referred to with regard to value for money and dealing with ICT contracts arise from the PPARS problems which came to my attention over the course of last summer. I set out general procedures to be put in place by Departments which provide for more vigorous competition for public sector contracts, fixed price lump sum contracts as the norm for construction projects...

Fiscal Policy. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I have suggested that the performance table should be incorporated in the annual reports to the Department of Finance on the capital envelope investment programme under the statement of strategy and in the format outlined in the circular. It is a matter for sponsoring Departments to assign responsibility. I do not intend to appoint people to every single project and Department but have set...

Fiscal Policy. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: Regardless of the size of a capital project, the allocation of individual responsibility allows such a situation to be monitored. Rather than everyone knowing a bit about everything and nobody being responsible for making decisions consequent to a project becoming more expensive, the allocation of individual responsibility ensures problems similar to those alleged by Deputy Bruton do not arise.

Fiscal Policy. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: That is for Ministers to decide in each case.

Fiscal Policy. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am also a shareholder in the ESB but I do not have a remit with regard to that company.

Fiscal Policy. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: My point is that the matter is dealt with by the line Minister with delegated responsibility. Questions arising with regard to CSID are best directed to the Minister of Arts, Sport and Tourism, who can make the full information available. I am answering questions on the general guidelines which I set out in October 2005 rather than on any specific issue.

Tax Collection. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I have been advised by the Revenue Commissioners that 411 cases were selected for random compliance testing as part of the 2005 programme. A detailed evaluation of the results will be finalised once the approximately 60 remaining audits are completed. I am informed that Revenue's approach to random compliance testing changed significantly in the 2005 programme and this should be borne in mind...

Tax Collection. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: We have seen a great improvement in the compliance culture with regard to the tax administration system. The number of tax compliant citizens has greatly increased, with one of the reasons being the important changes brought about, particularly with regard to self-assessment for the self-employed. That has brought about a transformation which can be seen through the tax take obtained, in...

Tax Collection. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: We can be assured that the powers will be used in a reasonable way and that the worries that some small account holders have on this matter are not well-founded. They are only to help with risk-based assessments, and it is only where the Revenue Commissioners see something which is obviously wrong in the context of other information that an investigation will occur. Many of the Revenue powers...

Tax Code. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: As I informed the House on 28 February, the European Commission has not yet made a formal proposal on the common consolidated corporate tax base. At the informal ECOFIN in September 2004, it was agreed that the Commission should establish a technical working group to consider such matters. While we opposed such a move, we are participating in the group without prejudice to our national...

Tax Code. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I met Commissioner Kovács and his officials when he visited and spoke in the environs of the Dáil. I conveyed our opposition to the overall project and told him I was not at all convinced of the case put forward. The Commissioner is resigned to the fact he will not get agreement among all 25 member states, but he is prepared to go the route of enhanced co-operation. He proposes to publish a...

Tax Code. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: It has. We have decided to fund our foreign aid through direct grant-in-aid, rather than via an aviation tax, because it is far more transparent. There is an issue with certain nations' dependence on aviation and the effect on our costs, which would be different from that of others. It has been decided that countries can deal with the issue on a voluntary, optional basis themselves. I...

Money Laundering. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: The financial action task force, FATF, recently published the report of its evaluation of Ireland's measures to combat money laundering and financing of terrorism. Ireland is one of seven countries evaluated to date in the FATF third round of mutual evaluations. Its overall ratings are comparable to those obtained by the other countries evaluated. The revised FATF money laundering...

Decentralisation Programme. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: Both the Government and I have made it clear that participation in the decentralisation programme is voluntary. From the outset guarantees have been provided at Government level that all those employees not wishing to transfer out of Dublin will be facilitated with an alternative public service post in Dublin. That position has not changed. In the Civil Service, progress has been made in...

Decentralisation Programme. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: Regarding the policy on promotions, an agreement has been reached in the Civil Service with the general service unions in regard to the inclusion of a decentralisation condition in a proportion of promotions. Discussions are ongoing with the professional and technical staff in the Civil Service on this issue. In the State agency sector promotions must take account of the reality of...