Results 15,481-15,500 of 32,961 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Legal Costs (11 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The cumulative cost to date in respect of the entire appeal and recovery in the Apple case is in the order of €7.1 million (including VAT). This includes all legal costs, consultancy fees and other associated costs. These fees have been paid by the Department of Finance, Revenue Commissioners, NTMA, Central Bank of Ireland, Attorney General's Office and Chief State...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: State Aid (11 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Notwithstanding that the Government profoundly disagrees with the Commission's analysis in the Apple State aid case, the full recovery of the alleged State aid from Apple has been completed with approximately €14.3 billion deposited into the Escrow Fund. The funds will remain in the Escrow Fund pending a final determination in the European Courts over the validity of the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Contracts Data (11 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: My Department has no record of awarding a State contract to the company named during the past seven years.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Real Estate Investment Trusts (11 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 57 and 58 together. Finance Act 2013 introduced the regime for the operation of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) in Ireland. The function of the REIT framework is not to provide an overall tax exemption but rather to facilitate collective investment in rental property by removing a double layer of taxation which would otherwise apply on property...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Cycle to Work Scheme (11 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am informed by Revenue that the cycle to work scheme provides an exemption from tax on the first €1,000 of expenditure incurred by an employer in connection with the provision of a bicycle or safety equipment to an employee or director. The bicycle must be for the employee/director’s personal use in undertaking the whole or part of the journey to or from work.  Safety...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Contracts Data (11 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has never awarded a contract to the company named in the question.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (10 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 52 together. Commission Regulation (EU) No. 702/2014 of 25 June 2014, commonly known as the Agricultural Block Exemption Regulation (ABER), is the Regulation under which certain categories of State aid can be granted for the agricultural and forestry sectors. Article 18 of the ABER sets out the specific requirements for the granting of aid for young...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Customs and Excise Staff (10 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: In September 2018, the Government granted approval in principle for the phased recruitment of an additional 600 Revenue staff to meet the challenges posed by Brexit. Revenue has appointed over 470 staff from open recruitment and interdepartmental competitions since the start of 2019, the majority of these have been assigned to customs roles or to backfill existing Revenue staff assigned to...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: VAT Rate Increases (10 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The background to this issue is that VAT legislation does not apply the zero rate of VAT to food supplements but shortly after the introduction of VAT Revenue applied a concessionary zero rating to certain vitamin, mineral and fish oil food supplement products. As the market developed over the years this treatment resulted in the zero rating by Revenue of further similar products, including...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Compensation Fund (10 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Setanta Insurance ("Setanta") was placed into liquidation by the Malta Financial Services Authority on 30 April 2014.  As it was a Maltese incorporated company, the liquidation is being carried out under Maltese law. The Deputy will be aware that under the Insurance Act 1964, as amended, monies may only be paid out of the Insurance Compensation Fund (ICF), with the approval of the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Financial Services Regulation (10 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: It is important to keep the market for the provision of financial services under review to ensure that the level of consumer protection continues to be robust.  In this context, last summer I asked Mr. Michael Tutty to conduct a review of the PCP market and regulatory structure and his report was subsequently published by my Department in November. That report found...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Small and Medium Enterprises Supports (10 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: S128F of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 provides for the Key Employee Engagement Programme (KEEP) which came into effect on 1 January 2018. The aim of the incentive is to support SMEs in Ireland in competing with larger enterprises to recruit and retain key employees, by way of a targetted share option programme. I am advised by Revenue that the ‘KEEP...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Employment Investment Incentive Scheme Data (10 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 58 and 59 together. With regard to the Deputy’s first question on the number of applications for tax relief certificates under the Employment and Investment Incentive scheme (EII) in each year since its creation and in each month of 2018, Revenue have provided me with the following data:  Table 1: No. of applications for EII Scheme 2012 –...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Central Bank of Ireland Reports (10 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, I am on record stating that I am committed to increasing individual accountability in the financial sector. On foot of a request I made to the Governor of the Central Bank for a review of the culture and behaviour within the retail banking sector in Ireland, the Behaviour and Culture of the Irish Retail Banks report was published in July 2018. Since...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme (10 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, the National Development Plan, published last year, demonstrates the Government’s commitment to meeting Ireland’s infrastructure and investment requirements over the next 10 years, through a total estimated investment of €116 billion over the period to 2027.  In 2019, capital expenditure of €7.3 billion represents an increase of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Retirements (10 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: In my role as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I have statutory responsibility for the terms and conditions of public servants only.  Employees of commercial State bodies, such as RTÉ, are not public servants.  The terms and conditions, including compulsory retirement age, of employees of commercial State bodies (other than the Chief Executive Officer), are...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Home Loan Scheme (9 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Section 477C of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 provides for the Help to Buy incentive (HTB), which came into effect on 19 July 2016. A number of conditions must be satisfied in order for an individual to be eligible to avail of the incentive. To claim HTB, you must: - be a first-time buyer; - buy or build a new property between 19 July 2016 and 31 December 2019; - If you are buying the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (9 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Firstly, I must point out that the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) is independent in the performance of his statutory functions.  I have no role in the day-to-day workings of the office or in the decisions which he takes. Section 56(4) of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman Act 2017 provides that "The Ombudsman shall, without prejudice to...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Customs and Excise Staff (9 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 146 and 153 together. In September 2018, the Government granted approval in principle for the phased recruitment of an additional 600 Revenue staff to meet the challenges posed by Brexit. Revenue has appointed over 470 staff from open recruitment and interdepartmental competitions since the start of 2019. The majority of these have been assigned to customs...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Bank Charges (9 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I understand this to mean that the cost of a transaction would be notified to a customer at the time of the transaction rather than being notified to them at the end of the two or three month billing period. The European Communities (Payment Services) Regulations 2009 (PSR) and the Consumer Protection Code 2012 contain certain requirements in relation to the information to be provided about...