Results 9,321-9,340 of 32,864 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Communications (25 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: Members of the Oireachtas can contact my Department by emailing minister@finance.gov.ie. There are 17 bodies under the aegis of my Department; Circular 25/2016 applies to 14 of these bodies. It does not apply to the Credit Union Advisory Committee (CUAC), the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal (DDMBA) and the Credit Union Restructuring Board (ReBo). CUAC is a committee set up to advise...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Protected Disclosures (25 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 42 and 43 together. Section 22 of the Protected Disclosures Act requires the publication of a report in respect of protected disclosures received in the preceding year setting out certain information in respect of protected disclosures received. For the purposes of complying with section 22, the Department publishes information regarding Protected Disclosures...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Mortgage Lending (25 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy is aware, as Minister for Finance I have no role in the day to day operations of any bank operating within the State including banks in which the State has a shareholding. I'm precluded from intervening on behalf of any individual customer in any particular bank. Decisions in relation to commercial matters are the sole responsibility of the board and...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Mortgage Lending (25 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: Under section 126 of the Consumer Credit Act 1995 a mortgage lender is obliged to make sure that a mortgage applicant has mortgage protection insurance in place before granting a housing loan.  However, the Act also provides for a number of limited exemptions to this statutory obligation where:  1. the house in respect of which the loan is made is, in the mortgage lender's...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Policy Functions (25 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: Primary responsibility for this matter and the National Disability Inclusion Strategy, rests with my colleague Anne Rabbitte, Minister of State for Disability in the Department of Children, Disability, Equality and Integration.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Banking Sector (25 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 47 and 48 together. NatWest's decision to withdraw Ulster Bank from the Irish market and the decision by Bank of Ireland to close 88 branches in the Republic of Ireland are regrettable and they represent unfavourable developments for the Irish banking market. However, I welcome that NatWest confirmed that it is negotiations with Permanent TSB...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Gambling Sector (24 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that the Betting Act 1931 (as amended by the Betting Amendment Act 2015), provides the legislative basis for licensing and control of Bookmakers, Remote Bookmakers, and Remote Betting Intermediaries. These licences fall within the general category of licences known as Excise Licences, which are issued by Revenue under various statutes. Revenue maintains and publishes...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Covid-19 Pandemic (24 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: As the COVID-19 health crisis spread across the EU, my Department participated in EU negotiations and supported agreements establishing several EU budget-related changes to address the various challenges faced in 2020 and continuing up to 2026. The Emergency Support Instrument (ESI) was activated in April/May 2020, for €2.7 bn. The ESI’s scope is broad, but it has mostly...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (24 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: Ireland’s excise duty treatment of fuel used for motor and heating purposes is based on European Union law as set out in Directive 2003/96/EC on the taxation of energy products and electricity, commonly known as the Energy Tax Directive. Mineral Oil Tax (MOT) is an excise duty and is comprised of a carbon and a non-carbon component. The carbon component is often referred to as carbon...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (24 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: I am informed by the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) that its investments to date in the Food and Agriculture sector have focused on Forestry and AgTech set out in the table below. Investment Commitment €m Objectives Forais (Dasos) 55 Fund investing in new and semi-mature forests across Ireland underpinning the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme (24 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: I brought forward an amendment to the Finance Bill to provide for the existing medical criteria for the Disabled Drivers Scheme in primary legislation. Following approval of the Finance Act 2020, the HSE has been informed that medical assessments can recommence from 1stJanuary 2021. However, in the context of the national effort to suppress and manage the impact of COVID, the ability to hold...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Compliance (24 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: It is assumed that the Deputy is referring to cross-border sales of wine over the internet to consumers in Ireland.  Such sales of alcohol products are referred to as “distance sales”.  Distance sales of alcohol products from one EU Member State to a consumer in another Member State are subject to VAT in the Member State of destination of the supply, which would...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Crime Data (24 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, there are multiple State agencies involved in the interdiction and seizure of drugs. Some of these agencies, such as the Customs Service of the Revenue Commissioners and the Irish Naval Service, rest outside of my remit as Minister for Justice. I have, however, contacted An Garda Síochána, the Courts Service and the Criminal Asses Bureau...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Credits (24 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: I would like to advise the Deputy that the Irish income tax system has been specifically designed to be broad-based and progressive thereby ensuring that the tax burden is lowest for those on the lowest incomes and highest for those on the highest incomes.  It is the Government’s position that this is the most fair and sustainable income tax system in the long term. Within these...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Bank Charges (24 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: I am aware of the concerns regarding the application of negative interest rates to solicitors' client bank accounts through parliamentary questions and correspondence. The application of interest rate charges is solely a commercial matter for the board and management of each bank. I have no role in the day to day operations of any bank operating within the State...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Banking Sector (24 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 423, 432, 439, 458 and 506 together. As the Deputies may be aware, as Minister for Finance, I have no role in the commercial decisions made by any bank in the State. This includes banks in which the State has a shareholding. Decisions in this regard, including the management of branch networks, are the sole responsibility of the board and management of...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Personal Injuries Assessment Board (24 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: As Minister for Finance, I am responsible for the development of the legal framework governing financial regulation. As such my Department does not collect the type of information being sought by the Deputy.  However, in order to help address the question, my officials examined data from the National Claims Information Database (NCID) which deals with motor insurance.  This does...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Coverage (24 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: I am conscious of the difficulties that the absence or withdrawal of flood insurance cover can cause to homeowners and businesses.  However, you should be aware that the provision of insurance is a commercial matter for insurance companies, which is based on an assessment of the risks they are willing to accept. Consequently, neither I nor the Central Bank of Ireland can interfere in the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs (24 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, agricultural relief allows the value of agricultural assets gifted or inherited (including farmland, buildings, stock) to be reduced by 90% of its value for the calculation of a Capital Acquisition Tax (CAT) liability. This is a valuable relief from CAT and a fundamental objective of this relief is that it is availed of by genuine, and active...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Industry Regulation (24 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 427 and 471 to 473, inclusive, together. I note all the details in the correspondence supplied relates to the recent publication of the Personal Injuries Guidelines and the impact they may have on the cost of insurance. At the outset, insurance reform is a priority for this Government, and the publication of the Guidelines delivers a key element...