Results 24,621-24,640 of 27,019 for speaker:Michael Noonan

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (5 Jul 2011)

Michael Noonan: The latest Quarterly National Household Survey data revealed that in seasonally adjusted terms there were 296,000 people unemployed in the first quarter of 2011, resulting in an unemployment rate of 14 per cent. The data also highlighted the volatile nature of quarterly Irish economic data. Reflecting this, my Department's labour market forecasts are based on annual averages rather than...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (5 Jul 2011)

Michael Noonan: The Programme for Government provides for the sale of non-strategic assets up to a value of €2 billion to fund investment in key networks of the economy. This will occur when market conditions are right and when adequate regulatory structures have been established to protect consumer interests. Following publication of the Report of the Review Group on State Assets and Liabilities in April,...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (5 Jul 2011)

Michael Noonan: The taxation of energy products is to a certain extent harmonized at EU level. Directive 2003/96/EC known as the Energy Tax Directive (ETD) refers. The current ETD provides for minimum excise rates of taxation for energy products based on the volume of a product released for consumption. Member States must respect the minimum rates and not tax products below those rates, but are free to set...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (5 Jul 2011)

Michael Noonan: The Government has decided to introduce overarching legislation providing for good faith reporting and protected disclosure on a uniform basis for all sectors of the economy. The Government has also decided to expedite the preparation of this legislation and the necessary preparatory work on drafting the legislation has begun in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The draft...

Written Answers — Mortgage Arrears: Mortgage Arrears (5 Jul 2011)

Michael Noonan: The Deputy will appreciate that I cannot comment on individual cases. The Deputy will be aware of the work of the Expert Group on Mortgage Arrears and Personal Debt which published its final Report last November. Since the publication of the Group's Report, the Central Bank has revised its Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears to reflect many of the Expert Group's recommendations including key...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (5 Jul 2011)

Michael Noonan: The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is currently engaged in research and conducting trials with a number of major international ICT companies to determine Cloud Computing approaches appropriate for public service data and applications. That research is also examining commercial models to ensure that any adoption of Cloud Computing by public bodies provides compelling...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (5 Jul 2011)

Michael Noonan: The current arrangements in place regarding established civil servants wishing to take a career break in 2011 are set out in civil service circular no. 18/98 - Special leave without pay for career breaks and were amended in letter to Personnel Officers of 3 March 2008 - available on www.personnelcode.gov.ie. This scheme allows for established civil servants, who have satisfactorily completed...

Written Answers — Tax Reliefs: Tax Reliefs (5 Jul 2011)

Michael Noonan: I assume the Deputy is referring to my conditional undertaking to bring forward legislative changes to provide for an extension in the time period in which ex-employees can benefit from the tax treatment available for shares allocated via an Employee Share Ownership Trust (ESOT). If this change is implemented, it would apply to all ESOTs. The introduction of the extension would effectively...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (5 Jul 2011)

Michael Noonan: VAT is charged on the supply of goods and services. The rate applying is subject to the requirements of EU VAT law, with which Irish VAT law must comply. While many tourist-related services were made subject to a new temporary lower reduced VAT rate of 9% from 1 July, it is not possible to extend this treatment to the goods and services that remain subject to the 13.5% rate. This arises...

Written Answers — Banking Sector Regulation: Banking Sector Regulation (5 Jul 2011)

Michael Noonan: The financial institutions referred to in the Deputy's question have advised me of the following summary information: Bank of Ireland On 18 June 2011, Bank of Ireland published a Prospectus which outlined that the estimated expenses to generate the €4.2 billion Core Tier 1 capital and €1 billion of contingent capital required to meet regulatory requirements by 31 July 2011 would amount to...

Written Answers — National Treasury Management Agency: National Treasury Management Agency (5 Jul 2011)

Michael Noonan: I am informed by the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) that it expects to recoup the external advisory fees associated with the NTMA Banking Unit's involvement in the oversight of the capital-raising exercise from the four financial institutions referred to in the question. These fees include costs associated with achieving burden-sharing with holders of subordinated debt together...

Written Answers — Tax Reliefs: Tax Reliefs (5 Jul 2011)

Michael Noonan: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that they have no record of receiving an application for a PAYE refund for the tax years 2008 or 2009 in respect of the person in question. Furthermore, according to Revenue records, no tax was deducted from the named person's salary in those years, in which case no refund could arise.

Written Answers — Credit Availability: Credit Availability (5 Jul 2011)

Michael Noonan: Any decision on whether to grant credit facilities is a commercial decision for an individual lending institution. It is important that each lending institution is allowed to assess properly and independently the individual risks it is considering accepting. However, if a consumer feels he or she has been improperly treated, or has grounds for complaint for some other reason, a complaint...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (5 Jul 2011)

Michael Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 173 and 174 together. In late May, I met a number of bodies representing the pension fund industry to discuss the 0.6% levy on pension scheme assets introduced to pay for the Jobs Initiative. I outlined my contention at those meetings that the cost of the levy be absorbed by a reduction in the fees and charges made by their members. In June, I wrote to the...

Written Answers — Mortgage Assistance: Mortgage Assistance (5 Jul 2011)

Michael Noonan: The Deputy will be aware that the Government is conscious of the difficulties many homeowners are having in meeting their mortgage repayments in respect of their principal private residence. There are a number of existing measures in place to support those homeowners struggling with their repayments. These measures include the Mortgage Interest Supplement, the Money Advice Budgeting...

Written Answers — Estate Administration: Estate Administration (5 Jul 2011)

Michael Noonan: I understand from the Chief State Solicitor that, following the issue of Letters of Administration, a claim has come forward on behalf of possible next of kin of the deceased as a result of advertisements placed in national newspapers. The Chief State Solicitor's Office is currently investigating this claim and has informed the applicant's solicitor.

Written Answers — Irish Government Bonds: Irish Government Bonds (5 Jul 2011)

Michael Noonan: The NTMA has had detailed discussions with the pensions and insurance industries and with other stakeholders regarding the details of the bonds to be issued and the optimum timing for such issuance so as to best meet the needs of the pensions industry as a whole and the interest of the Exchequer. The NTMA will issue the bonds when it is satisfied from its discussions with the market...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (5 Jul 2011)

Michael Noonan: Professional, legal and consultancy fees incurred each year by the National Treasury Management Agency, the National Pensions Reserve Fund Commission and the National Asset Management Agency are published in the Annual Reports of each body. Fees and expenses incurred by the National Development Finance Agency in the performing of its financing and advisory functions in relation to specific...

Written Answers — Tax Reliefs: Tax Reliefs (5 Jul 2011)

Michael Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 180 to 184, inclusive, together. I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that as statistics on income tax and corporation tax receipts do not generally distinguish between the yields from different sources of income, the figures of tax yields from stallion stud profits are not separately identifiable. Figures of the profits earned from the provision of...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (5 Jul 2011)

Michael Noonan: The position is that I have not, as yet, directed the Revenue Commissioners to examine the feasibility of a single business tax as outlined in the Programme for Government. The Deputy will appreciate that the Programme for Government is a comprehensive document containing many proposals and commitments to be fulfilled over the lifetime of the Government. Among the first commitments in the...