Results 46,301-46,320 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Written Answers — Department of Health: Maternity Services (16 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: 1271. To ask the Minister for Health if an implementation group has been put in place with regard to the national maternity strategy; if this group has met to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25514/16]

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank all the witnesses for their time today. I will start with one observation. The macro numbers are all over the place. It would be very useful to have a comparative analysis with per capitaas the denominator. We use GDP, GNP or hybrids or whatever it is, but per capitaor purchasing power parity, PPP, adjusted per capita, where that is more appropriate, would be very useful because...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: Can I just go back on the point Dr. Conefrey has just made? Is our per person consumption now or for whenever the latest data are available - 2015 - more or less what it was at the peak of the bubble?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: It is in the region. Is the point Dr. Conefrey is making that it is quite close?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank Dr. Conefrey.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: My next question is on the quantum. I know Professor McHale does not want to be pulled into policy issues such as whether we do things with USC. On the total quantum of revenue coming in, the comparative data I have seen suggests that if we just put aside PAYE versus whatever the basket of taxes are, by OECD levels we are a low-tax economy. We are materially below the average in terms of...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: If the pension contributions and benefits a person gets are stripped out, in comparison with other OECD countries Mr. Coffey is saying we are-----

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: Okay, close to the average.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Mr. Coffey for that. On a related question, does the council have a view, regardless of what the fiscal space is, on whether the tax base should be eroded in the upcoming budget and future budgets?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: May I come back in on that? If the witness is not going to have an opinion on the matter, then obviously the committee cannot force him to. For what it is worth, I disagree with his view. I understand that he needs to be safe in his responses. Perhaps "safe" is not the word but I understand the council has many stakeholders and that the witness is treading a fine line. However, part of...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: To be continued. I have two final, technical questions. The fiscal space available is narrowed because the convergence margin is being applied. It is being applied because the Commission believes that the economy is overheating. It is my understanding that the council believes it is neither overheating and that we are more or less there. Would it be the Professor's view that the...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Professor. I have a final question. One page four of the council's pre-budget submission, capital stock shows a huge spike for 2015. It references the fact that this is down to a small number of corporates, but because of confidentiality we cannot talk about them. I was taken by, and agreed with, Dr. Conefrey's analysis. When one runs the numbers, it is hard not to conclude...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank Mr. Coffey.

Government Appeal of European Commission Decision on State Aid to Apple: Motion (7 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: Illegal.

Government Appeal of European Commission Decision on State Aid to Apple: Motion (7 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: As today's debate concerns tax avoidance that should never have been facilitated by the Irish State, I will first address yesterday's announcement regarding tax avoidance by vulture funds. Yesterday's ruling is a welcome first step. I acknowledge the fine journalistic efforts that contributed to this, including by Mark Paul, Dearbhail McDonald, Joe Brennan, Jack Horgan-Jones and RTE's...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Economic and Fiscal Position: Economic and Social Research Institute (7 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I am very conscious that I have been out of the meeting for most of the day. I am just going to ask one question and if it has already been covered, I am happy to withdraw it and take a look at the transcripts. I thank both the witnesses. My question is on the quantum of the tax base. I do not expect the witnesses to make any political judgments but I would like an economic view if they...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Economic and Fiscal Position: Economic and Social Research Institute (7 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I want to pick up on the last comment Professor Barrett made. I take his point on the political economy, which is to say "For goodness sake, do not give it away." Behavioural economics suggests that it is five times harder to put it back in again. I fully agree on that. Putting aside the political difficulty of raising taxes, does Ireland, in the opinion of the witnesses, need a higher...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Economic and Fiscal Position: Economic and Social Research Institute (7 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: Sure.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Economic and Fiscal Position: Economic and Social Research Institute (7 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: In that case, I might ask the question in a slightly different way, as I appreciate that it is potentially political and I do not mean to put the witnesses in that position. Assuming our current quantum of taxes funds our current level of public services and capital investment, do we currently have under-investment in aggregate? Do we currently have under investment in aggregate? Maybe...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Analysis of Economic Forecasts: Central Bank of Ireland (6 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: Thank you. I have a few questions which I will rattle through now and then the witnesses can address them. The first is on the Anglo Irish Bank promissory note which I believe has budgetary implications. The Central Bank has taken a different payment schedule to the minimum that was agreed or the profile that was negotiated on the night it was voted through. I appreciate that the...