Results 16,201-16,220 of 36,764 for speaker:Enda Kenny

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): EU Presidency Engagements (26 Feb 2013)

Enda Kenny: -----and was reared as a model student will appreciate that visitors to these shores have always been made welcome and would want to send them away with a little of what we have.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): EU Presidency Engagements (26 Feb 2013)

Enda Kenny: A tie or scarf hanging in the wardrobe is a little memento of days spent in Ireland to see how a country could emerge from a very challenging programme. We hope to do this in 2013. I hope when it happens and the sun shines in his constituency Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett will agree that the Irish have never let themselves down in the area of hospitality shown to people who visit our shores.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): EU Presidency Engagements (26 Feb 2013)

Enda Kenny: I am sorry. It is a very important question. The horsemeat problem was discovered because of the extensiveness of forensic testing in Ireland. The decisions taken yesterday in Brussels and on Wednesday, 13 February, have had the clear outcome of introducing testing in all member states. This is an issue on which we cannot afford to mess around. It is very technical and complex. The...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): EU Presidency Engagements (26 Feb 2013)

Enda Kenny: We will make a decision on that in the next couple of weeks. It will not be a case of presenting documents to lending countries which have a right to see them. The Minister for Finance will present his budget in the normal way and anything presented to any other country will be laid in the Oireachtas Library at the same time. It is not a case of representatives from other countries seeing...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): EU Presidency Engagements (26 Feb 2013)

Enda Kenny: I do not have the detail of the discussions the Minister for Finance has undertaken. I will advise Deputy Martin of the current position with that matter.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): EU Presidency Engagements (26 Feb 2013)

Enda Kenny: In respect of bonds and interest rates, I do not have the information about the current position of that discussion. I will advise the House when I do. With regard to the European budget, there was a range of issues involved for the 27 member states. Some wanted Cohesion Funds, some wanted Structural Funds and some wanted serious cuts in administration for the Commission. There was a...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): EU Presidency Engagements (26 Feb 2013)

Enda Kenny: When the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, was here and I met him he said we would need something to do with own resources and flexibility to get approval from the European Parliament. When President Van Rompuy was in the European Parliament recently he was given a fairly torrid time. Some sections of the Parliament are already gearing up for the European elections next...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): EU Presidency Engagements (26 Feb 2013)

Enda Kenny: The Deputy was correct when he said there were 26 million people unemployed in the European Union. Growth is sluggish around the world, which is a major problem and a scourge in many countries, causing a great deal of concern and anxiety inside and outside the eurozone and the European Union. Other countries have a growth rate of 5%, 6% and 7%. When speaking about Ireland, the former US...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): EU Presidency Engagements (26 Feb 2013)

Enda Kenny: They will continue through 2013. I cannot see that being implemented earlier. I believe there will be substantial progress towards the back end of this year. It is expected that it will kick in from 2014 but, as the Deputy is aware, when discussions at that level get going all kinds of complications can arise. However, our objective is clear. The European Council decision is in place and...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): EU Presidency Engagements (26 Feb 2013)

Enda Kenny: Last year we announced a €2.5 billion stimulus package covering a range of educational, health and legal facilities around the country. Many of those are either under way or in the preparation stage. The Department of the Taoiseach's Estimate for 2013 is €20.086 million, of which €2.485 million has been allocated to the Presidency. Seven hundred thousand euro of that...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): EU Presidency Engagements (26 Feb 2013)

Enda Kenny: A sum of €23 million was allocated in 2012 and €36 million has been allocated for 2013. That will be used to fund the management of the Presidency here in home Departments; the operation of a significantly enlarged Permanent Representation in Brussels, with more than 90 people; a programme of events taking place in Ireland; and a cultural programme that uses the Presidency to...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): EU Presidency Engagements (26 Feb 2013)

Enda Kenny: Last year I presented a paper to the European Council on unemployment among young people. No funding at all had been allocated in the budget to deal specifically with this scourge, which is affecting quite a number of countries. Rates of unemployment and employment vary from country to country. In reply to previous questions from the Deputy, I indicated that Austria has a youth...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): EU Presidency Engagements (26 Feb 2013)

Enda Kenny: I agree that the reaction from Europe was not as expeditious or as energetic as one would wish when the economic crisis first began. The tools that are currently available to deal with it were not in place at the time when this country went over the edge. The situation is very different now. I have said this publicly on other occasions. Decisions have been taken at the European Council,...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): EU Presidency Engagements (26 Feb 2013)

Enda Kenny: I will deal first with the question about equine DNA. This scandal was uncovered due to the validity and the extensive range of testing carried out by the FSAI. It was assumed by people that this was an Irish problem. This testing has had global implications-----

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): EU Presidency Engagements (26 Feb 2013)

Enda Kenny: Yes, I understand. However, just yesterday, the Minister, Deputy Coveney, together with the ministers in Europe, have set out the criteria that will apply. As Deputy Martin is well aware, there is no room here for cowboys. This is the case because both our standards and our reputation as an exporting nation, with particular reference to foodstuffs, are of such importance. Those standards,...

Leaders' Questions (26 Feb 2013)

Enda Kenny: This agreement will last until June 2016. The truth is in what I told the Deputy, namely, that it is absolutely fundamental that we bring our deficit down to manageable proportions. This is critical if we are to have economic growth and job creation. The truth is that the pay and pensions bill accounts for 35% of public spending. In the context of the additional €3 billion in...

Leaders' Questions (26 Feb 2013)

Enda Kenny: As the Deputy is aware, the Government did not increase income tax and public sector workers fully understand the necessity to protect front-line services. The changes made by the unions that remained at the talks have resulted in very progressive changes to what was originally tabled. A document will be published in detail later this afternoon.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): EU Presidency Engagements (26 Feb 2013)

Enda Kenny: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 19, inclusive, together. As the House is aware, Ireland took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 January. However, the Government has worked intensively on preparing for the Presidency since it entered office. The Presidency programme titled "Stability, Jobs and Growth", which has been laid before the Oireachtas, outlines the...

Leaders' Questions (26 Feb 2013)

Enda Kenny: I am glad to see Deputy Adams is in robust, good and strong health.

Leaders' Questions (26 Feb 2013)

Enda Kenny: The point is that Deputy Adams chooses deliberately not to deal with our front-line service workers here in Ireland. He chooses to fly to greener pastures.