Results 10,221-10,240 of 32,864 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Credit Availability (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The very reason we introduced the EWSS and the PUP was to protect the incomes of all, but particularly the most vulnerable, as we deal with the ravages of this terrible disease. The biggest action the Government can take is to put in place direct measures to support the income of families at this most difficult time and we have done that. The PUP has made a decisive difference to those who...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Supports (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for raising this very important matter. My Department has been participating in whole-of-government preparations for Brexit since before the UK referendum in 2016 and, in line with the Government's overall approach, it has intensified work ahead of the end of the transition period on 31 December. Without prejudging the outcome of ongoing negotiations between the EU and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Supports (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I will do so and I thank the Deputy again for raising a very important matter. I assure him that the Department of the Taoiseach and all of us in the Government are working in an integrated and very careful way to ensure we can access our fair share - a good share - of the Brexit adjustment reserve fund that the Deputy refers to. I am now familiar with these kinds of negotiations and the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Supports (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: Matters relating to customs policy and procedures are dealt with at a central level by the European Union and we have requirements we need to uphold as the UK formally becomes a third country. I know the EU will try to ensure the rolling out and introduction of new customs procedures will be done in a way that is proportionate and will reduce the adverse effect on businesses that are trading...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I was about to ask which question this refers to.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The numbers do not make a difference in me getting to the material. I can deal with the Deputies' questions and I thank them for raising the matter. I propose to take Questions Nos. 68 and 71 together. I have raised the matter with the chief executive officers of all the banks and my officials continue to raise it. I have passed this view strongly to the banks and some have now indicated...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Code (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: Deputy Naughten raises an important matter in regard to care. The care that people provide to other family members is indispensable to those families and also allows the State to look after those who are vulnerable, in particular those who are elderly and vulnerable. I have concerns about making changes to a scheme that does provide such a significant amount of additional relief under...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Insurance Industry (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I acknowledge all the work Deputy Nash has done in raising the interests of the arts sector. It is an area that he and I both feel very strongly about. We look forward to the point at which we will be able to enjoy live music gigs again. We truly appreciate the value of live performance when we are not able to enjoy it in the way we were in the past. I recognise the work done by the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Insurance Industry (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes, I will raise this matter. I am aware that forbearance measures are being made available to the arts sector, but I did think that they were being made available in a manner that was typical of what happened with motor insurance earlier in the year. My understanding is that this was not being done through a common forbearance decision, but that it was being dealt with on a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Insurance Industry (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: We have a while to go on that yet but I hope they will be able to do that with as low a level of debt as possible. I will get back to Deputy Nash on the matter.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Insurance Industry (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I assure Deputy Nash that we are trying to get the balance right between the absolute imperative of keeping citizens safe and healthy and recognising the deep and intrinsic value of culture. Such culture includes live performances and museums. I look forward to the day, for example, when schoolchildren can go into our museums again and we can have Irish and international artists performing...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I can give the Deputy further information about his constituency in the context of how the counties are drawing down the other supports he mentioned. Looking at Offaly and Laois collectively, there are now 379 employers participating in the employment wage subsidy scheme. There are 4,056 employees of those 379 employers participating in the scheme. I raise that because that is the other...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. A similar matter was raised with me yesterday in the Dáil. The employment wage subsidy scheme, in particular, is supporting businesses that have every prospect of being viable again in the future. We all hope that opportunity for viability will come sooner rather than later. That is why implementing public health guidance is so important....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Code (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: A fundamental principle of the capital acquisitions tax, CAT, regime is that inheritance or gift tax is levied on the beneficiary and that the level of taxation is determined according to his or her relationship with the disponer. The reason for this approach is that the capital being transferred has not been earned by the beneficiary and the effective taxation of windfall capital is an...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Code (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: We are in the annual process of passing the Finance Bill and Report Stage will be taken in the House next week. I have indicated that I do not have plans to change the thresholds to which Deputy Naughten refers in the Finance Bill. It is important that I am open about that to the House. I do not believe that such changes are currently merited given the huge pressure that we are under to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Savings Schemes (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy has raised an incredibly important point. The reason we have had a higher level of public spending in place is to coincide exactly with the huge reduction in private spending, consumption and investment which has, in turn, been mirrored by the increase in savings to which he referred. When we get into a situation where those savings begin to be released into our economy, we will...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Savings Schemes (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Tánaiste launched a very important initiative yesterday, the Look for Local campaign, which encourages consumers to be aware of the opportunities to spend with local business. The Deputy made the important point that in a open economy such as ours, it is possible that when people start spending again, the money may be spent to the benefit of businesses other than those involved in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for recognising the value of the CRSS. I will comment first on its national performance, after which I will provide the information requested by the Deputy in respect of his constituency. The registration system for the CRSS was released by Revenue on 1 November. Up to 26 November 2020, 10,200 businesses had registered for the scheme in respect of 11,100 business...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: That is another constructive suggestion from the Deputy. We evaluated what opportunities there were for supporting local spend and supporting activity in local shops which, as the Deputy stated, have had a very, very difficult year this year. It was in recognition of the challenges retailers faced that the Government in the July jobs plan lowered the standard rate of VAT. As the Deputy...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Primary Medical Certificates (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The short answer is that to deal with that matter I have brought forward an amendment to the Finance Bill to provide for the existing medical criteria in primary legislation and I hope it will be accepted by the House on Report Stage next week. That will allow the continuation of the issuing of certificates once the Bill is passed. This is only an interim solution. On Committee Stage, I...