Cowen, BrianWednesday, 12 January 2011 |
Dáil Éireann Debate
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Leaders’ Questions
I am not too sure if it was just in relation to the introductory statement Deputy Kenny made that I regarded whatever he said with contempt, but there was basically the assertion that in some way ther...
That is the narrative that the Labour Party and Fine Gael — the latter from time to time, though not as often — have put about non-stop. Of course, it resonates for them and they are obviously getting...
It did and it is on the record. It said there should be no guarantee when I and the Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Lenihan, came into the House on 29 September.
If there had been no guarantee, that bank and all the banks would have failed. The party then argued: “It was not a systemic bank, it was your friend’s bank; that is why you saved it.”
It is not, because it is a systemic bank. Professor Honohan says so and that it is beyond question——
If the Deputies want me to quote him, I can do so. I have the quotation.
It is beyond question that is the case. Let us not distort the facts. One of the points I would like to make in the House, which I will finalise in terms of the first of the questions Deputy Kenny as...
We were the first country to have to take the guarantee option. Subsequently, Denmark came forward with a guarantee option and used senior debt. The template of all the guarantee options is that of ...
Even if one considers the initial Northern Rock guarantee, one will note it had to be widened by the British Government a short time after its introduction because it did not, I presume, provide suffi...
First of all, regarding the question on whether executives at the meeting in April outlined some of their positions, I am not sure whether it happened.
I do not have a written contemporaneous note of what went on. I do not remember every aspect. I am not trying to be opaque.
I am trying to be honest about what I recall and do not recall. Let me be straight with the Deputy. I want to be straight with the people, which is more important.
Whatever was said did not suggest the bank was about to go under. I guarantee the House that was not the situation. The issues were the nosedive in the commercial property market, which took place i...
I acted appropriately at all times. I acted in the same way at that meeting as my predecessor would have acted at quarterly meetings I am sure he attended, and——
——probably more than one. It does not matter. If Deputies want to attach suspicion to what I did, which is what my predecessors would have done when attending such meetings, that is fair enough and ...
This is an absurd sense of puritanism that we need to avoid. I want to make it clear again that nothing untoward was done at any time. Regarding the specific call Deputy Kenny mentioned, I was away ...
I will answer the Deputy directly. First of all, the difficulties we are facing in the economy, the cutbacks in expenditure and the tax increases with which we have to contend relate to the economic ...
I wish to answer the Deputy’s questions specifically. I apologise if I have been a bit expansive but I wanted to set out the full situation because I have to defend the good name of my party too in a...
Yes. With regard to this golf outing, I know for a fact that if I could say, “Yes, we might have discussed something at some particular hole”, the Deputy would find that more believable than if I dec...
At all. The Deputy can be as smart and as smarmy and as cynical as he likes. I can only tell him the truth and that is the answer to that question.
The Deputy can ask a question but he need not throw up his eyes when I answer it. The Deputy’s second question was about the dinner. Other Deputies on Deputy Gilmore’s side of the House have attended...
——and they will tell Deputy Gilmore the context of such dinners.
I suggest Deputy Quinn may want to read the reports. The responsibility for the situation can be spread wide——
I am not drowning.
I am trying to deal with the pejorative innuendo that continually emanates from the questions asked by the Deputy and his vitriol against my party and against my philosophy, which is just as good and ...
——and the Government legislative programme will not be prolonged in doing so. When the Finance Bill is concluded, we have indicated that during the course of the spring we will go to the people and p...
In reply to the Deputy’s first point about credibility, in doing one’s work one meets people from all walks of life. In July 2008 I attended a golf outing with Mr. Drury. Mr. FitzPatrick was also th...
I do not know if the Deputy knows the song “Suspicious Minds” but I cannot help him if he believes that one starts to discuss these issues when one plays a game of golf. It was the first day off afte...
——shoot the breeze or talk in a social way with people with whom I was acquainted. While it might help the Deputy to believe me if I said I discussed a lot of things relating to Anglo Irish Bank, tha...
Clearly, the Deputy has a predisposition about what his final position will be regardless of what I say. It is a clear line for the newspapers anyway.
I know it is. I suppose that is what the Deputy was sent in to say. The point is that it is easy to throw that around but I am telling him the situation as it was. He said he had a problem with wha...
That would have been organised by Fintan Drury, who organised the golf outing. It was about being able to sit down with people at the end of the day and having a chat about the economy. The Deputy w...
No. I will not say anything about where banking might have come up but it did not arise when I was present.
Ceisteanna — Questions (Resumed) - State Boards
Was asked: the number of vacancies that exist on the boards of the agencies and other bodies under the aegis of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Was asked: the number of vacancies that exist on the boards of agencies or other bodies operating under the aegis of his Department; the appointments made to such boards by him since 22 November 2010; and if h...
Was asked: the appointments he has made to State boards since November 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Was asked: the appointments made by him since June 2002 to the State Boards, or other agencies within his aegis; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Was asked: the names, occupations and dates of appointment of those appointed to the boards of the State agencies and bodies under the aegis of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Was asked: the Government appointments made to State boards, State bodies, public bodies, State agencies, State enterprises, Judicial positions and all State positions from the 1 June 2010 to date in 2011 in t...
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, and 147 together. The information requested by the Deputies in regard to appointments I have made since I became Taoiseach in May 2008 is in the tab...
It is important to point out that some people might be in an election mode but an election has not been called. As the Deputy said, previous Governments of all hues have filled vacancies when in offi...
We must look at these matters in the future to see how best to achieve this. We need to ensure there are people who want to serve and that they get the opportunity to put forward their case to serve....
The question of the interregnum period that would apply would need to be considered. However, we can have a look at that. I am prepared to co-operate on these sorts of matters at the appropriate tim...
No self-respecting government will cede its legitimate authority unless and until we are into a general election period. In terms of coming to an accommodation on these matters there is a need to be ...
No. They will be done in parallel with the processing of the Finance Bill, which is the most important legislation. If we do not have that, how do we confirm certainty for the upcoming financial yea...
The programme for Government and revised programme for Government were based on a number of issues, including the prospect of the Government completing a full term, which now, obviously, will not happ...
I do not agree with that as a matter of principle to be applied. Boards cannot function unless they are properly constituted. One needs a proper skills mix. One needs to ensure that people attend i...
Ceisteanna — Questions (Resumed) - Freedom of Information
Was asked: the number of freedom of information requests received by him in November 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Was asked: the number of applications made to his Department under the Freedom of Information Act during 2010; the way this compares with each year since 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Was asked: the number of freedom of information requests processed by his Department during 2010; the number which have been acceded to; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Was asked: the number of freedom of information requests received by his Department in the year 2010, the number acceded to and the number refused; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 to 9, inclusive, together. A total of 110 requests were received during 2010, of which 14 were received in November. Of the total of 110, some 74 were granted or par...
The question of the operation of the Freedom of Information Act is a matter for the Department of Finance. The question as to whether there are any policy issues arising or to be implemented would be...
It was the day of the marathon.
I do not know. As I stated, responsibility for the operation of the legislation is with the line Minister, who is the Minister for Finance. I only have the detailed data on the question on my Depart...
As a member of the Government one assesses memorandums coming from various Ministers with line responsibilities in these areas. There is a considered analysis of the approach into what is required or...
The Information Commissioner has the right and entitlement to make her views known and it is a matter for the Minister for Finance, in his capacity, to decide how to proceed. There is a relationship ...
Ceisteanna — Questions (Resumed) - Departmental Staff
Was asked: the reason recruitment to the position of advisory counsel in the Office of the Attorney General is restricted to barristers and the reason, in particular solicitors, are excluded, having regard to ...
Was asked: the criteria for recruitment to the position of advisory counsel in the office of the Attorney General.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 11 together. Recruitment competitions for positions as advisory counsel are run by the Public Appointments Service. For the most recent competition, in June 20...
I will have to check that. What is involved is further consideration of reforms that would help in reducing professional costs in order to make the sector more efficient and effective. I will have t...
In the main body of the reply I referred to the fact that there are 35 positions as advisory counsel in the Attorney General’s office. I cannot provide specific grades if they apply but I will check ...
I will ask to see if the information is available and get it for the Deputy.
Both sides of the legal profession come with skill sets. As I stated, there are 113 solicitors in the Office of the Chief State Solicitor and 35 advisory counsel in the Office of the Attorney General...
Order of Business
It is proposed to take No. 8, motion re ministerial rota for parliamentary questions; No. 17, Criminal Justice (Public Order) Bill 2010 — Order for Report, Report and Final Stages; and No. 18, Child C...
It is normal in the case of any finance Bill for the Minister for Finance to provide an indicative timeframe within which he believes his officials and the Revenue can come forward with proposals and ...
I can provide the A, B and C lists if the Deputy wishes. The only problem is it keeps me here until 1 o’clock every Wednesday.
The Bill is being introduced in the Seanad today. While I did not hear directly what Deputy Fahey said, he made the point on the basis of being able to call the election at an appropriate time. As a...
As I explained, we have to do this work. The NAMA (amendment) Bill must be enacted under the IMF-EU programme by the end of the first quarter. The Oireachtas has responsibilities which it must disch...
That was a wonderful flight of rhetoric. To bring Deputy Gilmore back to the facts, the budget must be enacted to give legislative effect——
And other bills related to the budget. These bills are budget-related and are part of the budget. The social welfare (miscellaneous provisions) Bill is part of the budget. Deputy Gilmore has a fool...
This is a process that will be undertaken. Those Bills will be taken when we are dealing with the finance Bill, which was completed last year on 6 April. The indicative timeframe at the moment is th...
The legislation to which Deputy Gilmore referred is part of the Government programme and will be accommodated as a parliamentary priority within the framework of implementing the finance Bill, which i...
We must implement the legislation and maintain the agreed programme. The four-year programme will now be implemented. It is all very well talking about programmes and their necessity but we must imp...
That must be done and will be done. We have set out priorities. Some Bills have yet to be published. The finance Bill will be published next week. The list is not exhaustive and gives an indicatio...
It is a question of doing the business necessary to implement the budget that the Deputy has consistently opposed.
He opposes everything.
The Minister of State with responsibility for children, Deputy Barry Andrews, will consult with spokespersons on the opposite side regarding a wording which has been approved by the Government for the...
We intend to bring it to the attention of spokespersons. It was brought to the Government this week and it is now a matter for the Minister of State.
As the Deputy knows, the all-party Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children did a lot of work on this, and the Minister of State responsible has introduced what I believe is a good ...
——which has been approved by the Government and will now be the subject of discussion with party spokespersons. I am not saying the spokespersons were consulted during the course of the work that was...
It is not a priority in the legislative work programme. With regard to the Bills mentioned in the work programme, the Chief Whip mentioned in the first paragraph that the Government was “setting out o...
The usual Shatter-esque fiction. The clever boy at the front of the class.
The Deputy should not be kicked out on the first day, for God’s sake.
That must be one of the Deputy’s Bills.
That is not true. The so-called simple little problem raised by the Supreme Court was in fact the transfer of money, which is a big problem.
Other issues were also raised by the court, although they were not part of its judgment and no opinions were given. It has been suggested that there is just one little problem that needed to be resolv...
There are questions to the Minister for Health and Children tomorrow.
The answer to the second question is “No”.
It has gone to the Attorney General for examination. As regards the Deputy’s first question concerning legislation on corporate donations, that is on the list for publication and enactment.
Written Answers - Departmental Expenditure
Was asked: the cost to his Department from 2007 in respect of providing all computer, hardware and software, in his private and constituency office in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter...
The cost to my Department from 2007 in respect of providing all computer, hardware and software, in my private and constituency offices is set out below. The costs outlined above are in respect of PC...
Was asked: the details of any standing arrangements or contact between him and a company (details supplied) for the purpose of carrying out cost-benefit analysis on policy changes; the total sum paid in respect...
Was asked: if he will set out any sum of money paid by his Department to a company (details supplied) in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 143 and 144 together. In 2010, following a public tender process, Indecon International Economic Consultants were awarded the contract to provide technical economic as...
Written Answers - Departmental Websites
Was asked: the number and cost of each website that falls under his remit; the number of unique visitors per month to each website; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
My Department has 8 websites. Department of the Taoiseach Websites 1 The www.forumoneurope.ie website is no longer active but will continue to be available as an information resource. 1 The www.foru...
Written Answers - Citizen Honours System
Was asked: if he will examine again the proposal to introduce the honours system in Ireland in order to honour citizens that have made a positive contribution to Irish society.
I believe that the introduction of a national honours system would require all-party agreement if it were to proceed. As you are aware from previous replies, my predecessor, who shared this view, wrot...
Written Answers - Performance Management Systems
Was asked: the performance management systems implemented in his Department as specified in the Public Service Agreement 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
A Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) was introduced for the Civil Service, including my Department, in 2000 and has been subject to ongoing evaluation and improvement since then. In...
Written Answers - Departmental Staff
Was asked: the number of staff working within his Department who are employed on a short-term, temporary or consultative basis in the years 2009, 2010; the costs of payment to such staff in each of those years;...
The information sought by the Deputy regarding the number of staff employed by my Department on a short term, temporary or consultative basis and the payments made to them in 2009 and 2010 is set out ...
Written Answers - Departmental Expenditure
Was asked: the amount spent by his Department on opinion polling and focus group research in each of the years 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
No money was spent by my Department on opinion polling and focus group research in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Was asked: the number of mobile telephones paid for by public bodies under his remit in each of the years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010; the total cost of paying mobile telephone bills in each of those years;...
There is currently one public body under the aegis of my Department, the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO). The number of mobile telephones paid for by NESDO in each of the years...
Was asked: the number of mobile telephones paid for by his Department in each of the years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010; the total cost of paying mobile telephone bills in each of those years; and if he will...
The number of mobile devices paid for by my Department in each of the years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 and the total cost of paying mobile device bills in each of those years is set out below. T...
Written Answers - Unemployment Levels
Was asked: the latest unemployment figures in respect of Tallaght social welfare office in Dublin 24.
The Live Register series gives a monthly breakdown of the number of people claiming Jobseekers Benefit, Jobseekers Allowance and other registrants as registered with the Department of Social Protectio...
Written Answers - Office of the Attorney General
Was asked: in respect of the past five years if he will detail the number of court cases initiated against the State defended by the Office of the Attorney General; the number of such cases lost by the State up...
The information requested by the Deputy in this question is being compiled by the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor and will be forwarded to him as soon as pos...
Was asked: the arrangements which exist within the Attorney General’s Office for the selection and appointment of counsel to represent the State in litigation; the names of those counsels in each of the past fi...
The information requested by the Deputy in this question is being compiled by the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor and will be forwarded to him as soon as pos...
Was asked: the circumstances, if any, in which the Attorney General’s office in each of the past five years sought advice from or instructed a private firm of solicitors to represent the State or provide legal ...
The information requested by the Deputy in this question is being compiled by the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor and will be forwarded to him as soon as pos...
Written Answers - Legal Services
Was asked: in each of the years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 the arrangements entered into by his Department for the obtaining of advice from a firm of solicitors and or from senior or junior counsel; in eac...
Was asked: with regard to legal services used by his Department, any Body under the aegis of his Department and any State agency for which he is responsible; if he will give details of the legal services of whi...
I propose to take Questions Nos. 157 and 159 together. My Department did not obtain legal advice from a firm of solicitors or from Senior or Junior Counsel, other than through the Office of the Attorn...
Written Answers - Legal Proceedings
Was asked: in respect of each of the years 2008, 2009 and 2010 if he will give details of the number of court cases initiated in each year in which he or his predecessor was named as a defendant; the number of ...
In 2008, proceedings were initiated by Derek Byrne, Margaret McNicholl & Justice for the Forgotten to seek access to the files of the McEntee Commission of Investigation — which are held, sealed, in m...
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