Results 261-280 of 33,055 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Official Engagements (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) represents the majority of credit unions on the island of Ireland. As of September 2024, 167 out 183 credit unions in the State are members of ILCU. At the 2025 ILCU Conference held in Belfast, Minister of State Troy provided an opening address.In his opening address Minister Troy touched on several important issues for the sector including: The...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: As stated in the Programme for Government, this Government proposes to bring forward measures to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs), in particular the retail and hospitality sectors, acknowledging the increased cost pressures on these sectors. These measures will be implemented as part of the normal budget process as resources allow. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Housing Schemes (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The Help to Buy incentive, is a scheme to assist first-time purchasers with the deposit they need to buy or build a new house or apartment. It also has as an aim to encourage additional supply of new houses by supporting demand. Help to Buy provides a refund of Income Tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) paid in Ireland over the previous four years, subject to limits outlined in...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Industry (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: Under Section 56 of the Road Traffic Act 1961, motor insurance is required to drive a mechanically propelled vehicle in a public place. This legislation is under the remit of the Minister for Transport. As the Deputy is aware, neither the Minister for Finance nor the Central Bank of Ireland can intervene in insurance pricing or provision under the EU's Solvency II directive. According...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Economic Policy (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: In aggregate, the labour market is in a strong position at present. The Labour Force Survey, published last week, shows the level of employment increased to over 2.8 million in the first quarter, with three-quarters of the working age population now in employment. These figures have never been higher. The unemployment rate, meanwhile, fell to 4 per cent, its lowest rate since 2001. ...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Fiscal Policy (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 38 and 74 together. The Irish economy entered 2025 in a strong position, with Modified Domestic Demand growth of 2.7 per cent last year. Consumer spending increased by 2.3 per cent reflecting, in part, the easing of inflation last year, with core inflation (i.e. excluding energy and processed food) averaging 2.4 per cent, amongst the lowest recorded rates in...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: National Treasury Management Agency (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The NTMA as a policy do not publish unaudited figures related to ISIF’s holdings or indeed any aspects of their financial statements. On this basis the NTMA publishes a detailed list of ISIF’s individual investments in its portfolio each year in the NTMA annual report. The 2023 annual report is the most recent list of individual investments that has been published, detailing...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Central Bank of Ireland (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The Central Bank does not sell or oversee the sale of Israeli bonds neither does the Central Bank directly (or indirectly) invest in Israeli government bonds. The Central Bank performs a regulatory function which is limited to ensuring that the disclosure document for the offer contains all the necessary information required by the EU Prospectus Regulation. Under this Regulation, a...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: ‘Foundations for the Future’, the report by the Commission on Taxation and Welfare was published in September 2022. It is a comprehensive document featuring 116 recommendations aimed at shaping the future of Ireland’s taxation and welfare systems. The Commission was tasked with independently assessing how taxation and welfare policies can best support economic growth,...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Housing Schemes (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The Help to Buy incentive, is a scheme to assist first-time purchasers with the deposit they need to buy or build a new house or apartment. It also has as an aim to encourage additional supply of new houses by supporting demand. Help to Buy provides a refund of Income Tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) paid in Ireland over the previous four years, subject to limits outlined in...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Financial Irregularities (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: My officials are undertaking a number of actions in the effort to fight payment fraud, at both the national and EU level and are also supportive of recent actions taken by ComReg to develop a SMS Sender ID Registry. My Department has engaged extensively with both the Department of the Environment, Climate, and Communications and ComReg while working on drafting the National Payments...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Financial Services (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: In line with Programme for Government commitments, the Department of Finance has commenced work on a new Ireland for Finance Strategy to be published in H1 2026. A public consultation and significant stakeholder engagement will take place in 2025. Ireland for Finance is a whole-of-Government strategy for the development of the international financial services sector in Ireland. The...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The key objective of the Vacant Homes Tax (VHT) is to increase the supply of homes for rent or purchase by encouraging the owners of vacant, habitable, residential properties to bring those properties back into use. It was introduced in Budget 2023, and as such, figures for two chargeable periods are presently available. Revenue publishes this data on their website:...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy may be aware, there are several tax reliefs that may be available to blind persons, including for costs relating to guide dogs. Tax relief for costs relating to guide dogs may be available under section 469 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (TCA). Section 469 TCA provides for tax relief where an individual proves that he or she has incurred costs in respect of qualifying...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Revenue Commissioners (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised that Revenue, through its Investigation, Prosecution and Frontier Management Division (IPFMD), is responsible for implementing customs controls on traffic entering the EU through Irish ports and airports. This includes customs clearance of goods, the collection of customs duty and associated VAT and the detection, interception and seizure of prohibited and restricted products,...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Credits (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: Acknowledging the challenging circumstances of bereavement, the Irish income tax code contains favourable provisions relating to the tax treatment of widowed persons. In the year of bereavement, a widowed person is entitled to the same personal tax credits as a married couple, if they were jointly assessed to tax, and the assessable spouse or nominated civil partner. If they were not...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy will be aware that it is a longstanding practice of the Minister for Finance not to comment, in advance of the Budget, on any tax matters that might be the subject of Budget decisions. The Government is acutely aware of the difficulties in the housing market and the challenges this presents for many people and families at the moment. The need to ensure all viable housing stock...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: National Treasury Management Agency (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 299 together. The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) holds a variety of Sovereign Bonds and details of all ISIF’s holdings as of 31 December 2023 are available in the most recent NTMA Annual Report. ISIF’s holdings are classified by country (in line with industry standard) as per the Annual Report. ISIF’s holdings of...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: Capital Acquisitions Tax (CAT) is a beneficiary-based tax on gifts and inheritances that is payable on the value of the property received. For CAT purposes, the relationship between the person giving a gift or inheritance (i.e. the disponer) and the person who receives it (i.e. the beneficiary) determines the maximum amount, known as the “Group threshold”, below which CAT does...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Credit Unions (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The Programme for Government has included a commitment to draft a five-year strategy for the credit union sector. I and the Minister of State intend to co-sponsor a workplan with the credit union sector to determine its Strategic Purpose and Framework. I have instructed my officials to draft a member focussed plan that will be inclusive and owned by the sector. My officials are actively...