Meet the new Cabinet team and learn about their responsibilities:

Today, I announced my new Cabinet to the Dáil. I wanted to tell you, as a Fianna Fáil supporter, why I have made these changes.Over the last two years, the entire Government has been focused on meeting the urgent challenge of stabilising the public finances and restoring international confidence in Ireland. Now we have to move on to the next stage of building a lasting recovery, and the changes I have announced are central to this.I am determined to help people back into employment through targeted support for individuals and the companies which will drive job creation. I also want to reform the way Government as a whole works by restructuring responsibilities in key departments.

I would like to welcome Ministers Pat Carey T.D., John Curran T.D. and Tony Killeen T.D. to the Cabinet table. They have this evening been presented with their Seals of Office.The actions we have taken over the past 2 years are restoring international confidence in the Irish economy, and improving our competitiveness. With this foundation in place, I want all areas of Government to focus on job creation and ensuring Ireland is positioned to benefit from the global economic upturn when it comes. These reforms are designed with exactly that in mind.With my new team in place, I'm looking ahead to tackling the challenges we face - promoting job creation, investing in people, and ensuring the creation of opportunities for everyone.

Le gach dea guí,

Taoiseach Brian Cowen, T.D.

No to Irish Defence Forces Purchase of Israeli Bullets

salams

I wanted to draw your attention to this important petition that I recently signed:"No to Irish Defence Forces Purchase of Israeli Bullets"http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/israrms/I really think this is an important cause, and I'd like to encourage you to add your signature, too. It's free and takes just a few seconds of your time.

Thanks!
wassalam

Brian Lenihan said "our plan is working"

Over the last twenty months, we have taken decisive and bold action to bring this country back from the brink of economic and financial ruin. The latest of these measures were contained in last December's budget. We made savings of €4 billion through cuts in public sector pay, an average 4% reduction in welfare payments, and through controlling expenditure in all areas of Government. These measures have stabilised our public finances and greatly increased international investor confidence in our ability to work our way out of this most difficult of economic crises. The benefits are there for all to see. Take a look at this:

http://www.fiannafail.ie/page/m/1363c3e/33741a9e/244857af/585bcc6a/1284676890/VEsE/
This graph shows the cost of borrowing for Ireland and Greece. The cost of repaying our debt has fallen because the government has made the difficult but correct choices. If Ireland had gone the way of Greece, we could have expected to pay €3.6 billion more in interest over the next 10 years on the money we have had to borrow this year: dead money that we can now divert to much needed public services.
Internationally, we are now held up as an example of a country that is facing up to its economic difficulties and taking the necessary action. Now that we have begun to stabilise our public finances, we can take the necessary measures to return to economic growth and to create and protect jobs.
Please share this email with your friends, family and colleagues:
http://www.fiannafail.ie/page/m/1363c3e/33741a9e/244857af/585bcc6a/1284676890/VEsF/
In their measured reaction to a very difficult and painful budget, the citizens of this country have shown they are willing to make sacrifices in the short term for the long term good of all. This maturity and understanding of the economic difficulties we face is the envy of other countries in Europe. Our flexibility and our foresight will be of enormous value to us as we continue to enact our plan for economic recovery.
Thank you for supporting us,

Brian Lenihan T.D. Minister for Finance

STATEMENT BY PROINSIAS DE ROSSA Labour MEP for Dublin Chair

STATEMENT BY PROINSIAS DE ROSSA Labour MEP for Dublin Chair, EP Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council Tuesday, March 02, 2010 FOLLOWING DUBAI MURDER AND THEFT OF IDENTITIES, EU MUST STOP UPGRADE OF RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL
In a priority European Parliament question tabled to the European Commission, Proinsias De Rossa MEP said the almost-certain abuse by Mossad of Irish and other European passports in the murder of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai on 20th January necessitated a halt to the upgrading of relations with Israel and a full review of the 2004 EU legislation aimed at preventing the forgery and abuse of Member States' passports.* Mr De Rossa said: "The misuse of Irish and other EU Member States' passports in this crime should not divert attention from Israel's murder of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, its brutal assault on Gaza last year, causing the deaths of hundreds of civilians including over 300 children, and its continuing blockade of 1.5 million people in Gaza - all of which are clear demonstrations of Israel's continuing disregard for international law. "The murder of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a leading Hamas militant, raises 'profoundly disturbing' issues for Europe as the EU Foreign Ministers acknowledged in their 22nd February statement. "The European Union is committed under the Lisbon Treaty to providing its citizens with 'an area of freedom, security and justice'. However the use of forged European passports in the Dubai crime undermines that commitment and casts doubt on the security of all European passports and on the ability of all Europeans to travel in safety worldwide. Indeed, while the theft was a direct attack on the sovereignty of the four Member States concerned and of Australia, the sovereignty of all Member States is at risk unless Israel is obliged to comply with International law. "Europe has to urgently review all aspects of its relations with Israel and put on hold any further upgrading of EU-Israeli relations until Israel complies in all respects with its obligations under international law and its commitments under EU-Israel agreements. "In their 22nd February statement, the 27 EU Foreign Ministers sought to reassure all Europeans that their passports remain among the most secure in the world and included a 'range of physical security measure to prevent forgery and abuse'. "The simple fact is that the protections offered by this legislation seem to have failed in this case. The European Commission must therefore undertake an immediate and full review of all the provisions and the implementation at national level of this legislation and present proposals to MEPs and Ministers to re-establish the integrity of European passports." ENDS Contact Proinsias De Rossa MEP at 087.2544644 www.labour.ie/press * Regulation 2252/2004 on 'security features and biometrics in passports and travel documents issued by Member States'. Written question by Proinsias De Rossa MEP to the Commission Subject - Theft of EU citizens' identities by those involved in the extra-judicial killing of Mr. Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai on 20 January 2010 Article 3 (2) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) states that the Union shall offer its citizens 'an area of freedom, security and justice without internal frontiers'. Article 3 (5) provides that 'In its relations with the wider world, the Union shall uphold and promote its values and interests and contribute to the protection of its citizens'. Article 4 (2) commits the Union to respecting Member States' fundamental political and constitutional structures and their essential state functions, including maintaining law and order and safeguarding national security. On 22 February 2010, the Council acknowledged that the killing of Mahmoud al-Madhouh in Dubai, 20 January 2010, was not conducive to peace and stability in the Middle East and raised 'profoundly disturbing' issues for Europe. It strongly condemned the fact that those involved had used fraudulent passports and credit cards acquired through the theft of EU citizens' identities and it sought to reassure EU citizens and the international community about the integrity of EU Member States' passports. Does the Commission condemn this killing? Does it accept that these actions displays a lack of respect by the organizers for Member States, and that the stealing of EU citizens' identities is an infringement of the sovereignty of the Member States' concerned? What steps is it taking to ensure that all countries, including Israel, the main suspect, cooperate with the investigation by the Dubai authorities into these criminal acts and in the investigations being carried out by the Member States concerned into the theft of their citizens' identity? Does it foresee taking the same actions it recently took in relation to Guinea and Sri Lanka if it is established that a state with which we have close relations is responsible for these criminal acts? Will it undertake a full review of the provisions and implementation of EC Regulation 2252/2004 on standards for security features and biometrics in passports and travel documents issued by Member States, and other relevant EU legal instruments? What additional action is it taking or considering in this matter?