Results 29,301-29,320 of 36,188 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Trans European Transport Network Programme (28 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: 183. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the cross-Border corridors he is lobbying to have included on the Trans-European Transport Networks, TEN-T, comprehensive network; the cross-Border planning in which he has engaged with his counterpart in the Six Counties to secure maximum funding from TEN-T; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51158/13]

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: I am not allowing the Minister of State to insinuate that I am in some way perpetrating a lie. He can show his income slip to whoever he wants. I have no intention of looking at what he earns or what anyone else earns. What a Minister of State earns is public knowledge. I do not think many people will shed a tear for any politician who earns about €100,000 in gross income. I do...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: With respect, if he wants to pluck on the heartstrings of the Irish people, I think he is plucking on the wrong strings. He may feel that he is entitled to it and that is fine and that is to pay for his job at the moment------

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: My amendment is about the fairness of taxation measures and why the local property tax should be repealed. I will say again that Sinn Féin is committed to repealing this property tax if we are in government following the next election. The Minister of State may have a crystal ball and people may hope that their parties are returned, and that is fine. It is our commitment to abolish it...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: None of us knows what will happen in the future. However, there has been an unfair impetus put on the Irish people at the lower level. The Minister of State refers to reports from independent studies and so on, but he fails to mention the names of the studies. For example, the ESRI is one such study. The Minister of State should talk about the ESRI study and not rely on what happened...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: The Minister of State is pulling me back in a direction the Chairman has asked me not to take, but I am saying that any politician who is looking for sympathy and who is earning above €100,000 is not going to get it. People at the higher levels of income may have taken reductions in gross pay, or reductions in net income as a result of higher taxes and so on, but the point is that...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: As I said, I am not interested in any individual's personal circumstances. I think 14 or 15 Ministers claimed the dual abode allowance last year. I acknowledge that Ministers and Ministers of State do not get accommodation allowances when in Dublin.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: Deputies and Senators receive an accommodation allowance. However, for those Ministers of State or Ministers who stay in the same hotel as me, not only do they get the full cost of the hotel written off their tax bill, but they also get additional costs written off. When one inquires as to the additional costs, the answer is that these are laundry costs, etc. This shows that the tax code...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: There are abuses. Nobody knows who is getting the dual abode allowance. The tax code is very transparent in other areas but we do not know which Ministers are availing of it. Why is it that Ministers who have houses can get an unvouched allowance of €6,500 from the Revenue? It is unbelievable. This issue is a hobby-horse of mine. Getting rid of the dual abode allowance will not...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: I am a little confused because the amendment changes the substance of the text. The original section defined "relevant individual" as a person specified in Schedule 3A. Will Schedule 3A still be applicable following the amendment?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: To clarify, the original section includes a list of institutions which were deemed relevant institutions if a person had worked without pay-----

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: The reason I asked the question is that a number of institutions were omitted from the list. These include St. John's school, a laundry in Birr and the Sisters of Mercy laundry in Clifden. I assume no issue arises in respect of these institutions.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: I have one further question and I ask that my ignorance on this highly sensitive matter be excused. Two of the women who applied for redress under the redress scheme have passed away. In such circumstances, will payments be made to the estate or children of the women in question?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: I suspected that was the case. Will such payments also be tax exempt?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: I move amendment No. 114 In page 92, between lines 24 and 25, to insert the following: “79. The Minister shall, within one month of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before Dáil Éireann a report on options available for the abolition of the Local Property Tax.”.I am astonished that this amendment was adjudged to be in order given that 16 of my amendments were...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: The Minister of State would make my day if he were to accept it. I believe the wrong Minister is sitting opposite me, although strange things happened yesterday when the Minister accepted an Opposition amendment. The Minister of State should not be outdone by the Minister; he could grab the headlines by accepting the amendment. The amendment would require the Minister to prepare and lay...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: I stress again that I support the imposition of a levy. When one introduces a measure in any finance bill, those that will be affected by it will always make their views known, and rightly so. Is there anything to be concerned about in terms of the possibility of financial institutions withdrawing from the State, curtailing services or passing this levy on to their customers? Have the...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: What about the question of them passing on the levy to their customers? Has it been made clear to the Department that this is what they intend to do?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: Would this be applicable to those who have paid the local property tax and have ---

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: The local property tax is a self-assessment tax.