Results 14,341-14,360 of 35,891 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Payments (5 Dec 2018)

Pearse Doherty: 299. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the details of all payments of illness benefit that have issued to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51112/18]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Payments (5 Dec 2018)

Pearse Doherty: 300. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the details of all payments of illness benefit that have issued to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51113/18]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Payments (5 Dec 2018)

Pearse Doherty: 301. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the details of all payments of illness benefit that have issued to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51114/18]

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: African Development (Bank and Fund) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2018)

Pearse Doherty: The amendment tabled by Deputy Eamon Ryan chimes with my contribution in this respect to the debate on Second Stage. It related to the need for the agreement to be stronger, for example, in the context of environmental protection and human rights. The question I asked at the time was what structures were in place to monitor the human rights and due diligence of companies that would be...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: African Development (Bank and Fund) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2018)

Pearse Doherty: What protections in terms of human rights are in place with respect to companies that receive money from this fund? We are investing in a development bank, which is a worthy instrument in itself, but how do we as a State monitor the beneficiaries of this fund?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: African Development (Bank and Fund) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2018)

Pearse Doherty: What limits apply in this regard? Does this allow for all Revenue data to be exchanged in this way where a request has been made?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: African Development (Bank and Fund) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2018)

Pearse Doherty: Do I take it that the information is provided by an official in the Department of Finance as opposed to the Revenue Commissioners?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: African Development (Bank and Fund) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2018)

Pearse Doherty: The information would have originated with the Revenue Commissioners officials. Is that correct?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: African Development (Bank and Fund) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2018)

Pearse Doherty: The Minister of State is trying to make it legal.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: African Development (Bank and Fund) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2018)

Pearse Doherty: I understand that. I am not opposed to the section.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: African Development (Bank and Fund) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2018)

Pearse Doherty: That answers a further question I had about the role of the Revenue Commissioners. This involves an official or officials within the Department having access to taxpayer information. What provisions are set out in law relating to officials in the Department as opposed to officials in the Revenue Commissioners having access to taxpayers' personal information?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: African Development (Bank and Fund) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2018)

Pearse Doherty: They are allowed to do it only on the basis of those two circumstances. Is that correct? In the case of policy formulation we may look for information to be provided in a way such that taxpayers are not identified by the Department. I assume the Minister will know about it as well. I assume he or she is entitled to that information with the individual being identifiable.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: African Development (Bank and Fund) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2018)

Pearse Doherty: I am keen to tease through this. Would it be right to say that the only case where the Department would have access to information on a taxpayer where the subject could be identifiable would not be in the case of policy, although it seems one could make assumptions about the identity? However, a subject would be identifiable in a state aid case. Is that the situation? Heretofore, no...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: African Development (Bank and Fund) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2018)

Pearse Doherty: It was a criminal offence if they did not do it as well.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: African Development (Bank and Fund) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2018)

Pearse Doherty: Information has not been passed so far and this will allow it to be passed.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: African Development (Bank and Fund) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2018)

Pearse Doherty: Are there any restrictions on passing information to European authorities on the part of a Department official?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: African Development (Bank and Fund) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2018)

Pearse Doherty: Can they request it from officials?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: African Development (Bank and Fund) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2018)

Pearse Doherty: I have one final question relating to European access to information, especially environmental legislation and so on. Is there a restriction on officials providing information through that forum? If they use the European authorities to access information, are there restrictions on the officials passing the information in a given case? It would amount to accessing information using a...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: African Development (Bank and Fund) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2018)

Pearse Doherty: I may liaise on that matter specifically. Otherwise, I have no issue with this.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Central Bank of Ireland (4 Dec 2018)

Pearse Doherty: 138. To ask the Minister for Finance the location of Ireland’s gold reserves; his plans to move these reserves onto the island of Ireland in the event of Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50147/18]