Results 2,021-2,040 of 4,178 for speaker:Paul Gavan

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2020)

Paul Gavan: I welcome the Minister of State. I agree with my two colleagues who have spoken on this issue. Our view of it is simple; it is well dodgy and does not stand up. Senator Higgins makes a very good point. Perhaps the Government is gambling on the fact that ordinary working people do not have the means to challenge this but, constitutionally, it really does not stack up. To be clear, section...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2020)

Paul Gavan: The Minister of State gave a lengthy explanation but he did not answer the questions that were posed respectfully by the three of us. At the risk of repeating myself, this payment was quite correctly introduced as an urgent needs payment. Under the Finance Act 2018, an urgent needs payment is exempt from income tax. Saying that the Government said it would be taxable does not matter. What...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2020)

Paul Gavan: That was never suggested.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2020)

Paul Gavan: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2020)

Paul Gavan: We are opposing this section. Section 7 amends section 477C(5A) of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 to extend the enhanced help to buy relief. The help-to-buy scheme provides income tax relief to assist first-time buyers with obtaining the deposit required to purchase or build their first home. The enhanced help-to-buy relief is set to expire on 31 December 2020 and this section provides...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2020)

Paul Gavan: Not really. I think we will agree to disagree on this matter at this point.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2020)

Paul Gavan: Briefly, I wish to voice my support on this matter. I am always fascinated by the fact that the one thing that neither of the conservative parties opposite ever concede to do is to try to measure the wealth in this country. Every opportunity is taken to avoid doing that. As Senator Higgins has so eloquently pointed out, there has been a huge gain in wealth for the wealthiest, the top 1% in...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2020)

Paul Gavan: I move recommendation No. 5: In page 11, after line 34, to insert the following: “Report on operation of income tax relief for cross-border workers 11.The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on the operation of income tax relief for cross-border workers under section 825A of the Taxes...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2020)

Paul Gavan: I thank the Minister of State for the extensive answer. It is good to hear cross-party support on this issue. We should look at it on Report Stage. If the six months is the issue, we can look at when we can get a report done. However, there seems to be consensus that we need a report on this issue. I would like to get a commitment from the Minister of State on the production of that...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2020)

Paul Gavan: I move recommendation No. 6: In page 11, after line 34, to insert the following: “Report on income tax relief 11.The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on an income tax relief equivalent in value to 8.3 per cent of annual rent to all private rental tenants not already in receipt of any State...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2020)

Paul Gavan: The contradiction is on the Minister of State's side. He is saying that if we effectively give money to developers via the help to buy scheme, it will not cause inflation, but it will with renters.We will not get agreement on this, but we are asking for a report to examine what the consequences could be. What is the harm in that? What is the Minister of State afraid the report might elicit?

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2020)

Paul Gavan: I move recommendation No. 7: In page 54, between lines 23 and 24, to insert the following: “Report on restoring cap on intangible assets 23. The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on restoring the 80 per cent cap on intangible assets onshored between 2015 and 2017 that can be written off...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2020)

Paul Gavan: I welcome that thoughtful contribution by Senator Casey. There is much on which I agree with him. It emphasises the frustration of those of us on this side of the House. The requests that are being made are very reasonable. We are asking the Government to prepare a report. It is very disappointing that, recommendation after recommendation, the Minister of State is refusing to engage in...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2020)

Paul Gavan: The Minister of State is being grossly unfair. Senator Higgins is asking for a report on what the impact of these proposals would be. It is very different. Again, I have to point out that so far today, the Minister of State has rejected every constructive proposal for a report. We should expect better than this type of engagement. Senator Higgins is asking for a report that could well...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2020)

Paul Gavan: Sinn Féin is opposed to sections 27 to 30, inclusive, of this Bill. This is an area that really concerns me because the carbon tax is fundamentally regressive. When I raised the issue with the Minister of State earlier in the week, he came back with an answer that stated that "on carbon tax on low income households, the budget provides three measures". He mentioned the €3.50...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2020)

Paul Gavan: I highlight the contrast. The Bill seeks to lock in year-on-year increases in the carbon tax until 2030, increases the Minister of State has admitted are regressive. Where are the corresponding increases in social welfare? At the very least, the Government should have ensured that was matched to make it fair. The Government should also have addressed the weekly income limit that applies...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2020)

Paul Gavan: We are making political points here. It is never personal. The Senator asked for constructive solutions so I will give her some. The Government could have and should have upped the level of accessibility for the fuel allowance. As I have pointed out for the third time now, a minimum wage couple do not qualify for that allowance. The lowest paid workers in the State do not qualify for it....

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2020)

Paul Gavan: I want to home in on one particular piece of language the Minister of State has used in response to the measures that have been taken to help people. The Minister of State refers to the fuel allowance increase of €3.50, which will go to a broad range of lower-income households. I will keep this very simple. Is the Minister of State disputing that a couple on the minimum wage will...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2020)

Paul Gavan: I take the Minister of State’s point and there has been a good engagement on this issue. My point is that while most of us are going to have to pay more, it should not fall disproportionately on lower-income workers. As the OECD has evidenced, one in four workers in the State are lower-income workers. Unfortunately, given the way the Government has constituted this measure in this...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2020)

Paul Gavan: I move recommendation No. 11: “Report on distributional impact of increases in the carbon tax from 2021 to 2030 37. The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on the distributional impact of changes made to the carbon tax from 2021 to 2030 through sections 26, 27and 28of the Finance Act...