Results 21,461-21,480 of 33,049 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) (No. 2) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: In responding to the issues raised in respect of this section, it is important to put these matters in context during this debate. Many issues have been raised with regard to the temporary wage subsidy scheme and the role of the pandemic unemployment payment. As we begin this debate about the temporary wage subsidy scheme, we should anchor any discussion about the perceived limitations of...

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) (No. 2) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: -----on behalf of his constituents.

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) (No. 2) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I will keep going.

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) (No. 2) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: Thank you very much, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Yes, I referred to what Deputy Mattie McGrath said. If he is going to engage in the kind of debate he attempted to engage in earlier, he needs to be prepared for those who are willing to respond, and I am willing to do so. The issues the Deputy attempted to raise about artists and those who give such soul to our country are also the very reason...

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) (No. 2) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I will deal with the issues raised by the Deputies. On Deputy Boyd Barrett's point about the need for a roadmap and the need for artists, especially performing artists, to be clear regarding what their future prospects can be, insofar as that guidance can be given to many at present given the current uncertain times, I will follow up with the Arts Council and the Minister, Deputy Catherine...

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) (No. 2) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: At that particular point, the Government was trying to revise the public health guidance that was available to the country. We were trying to prioritise the public health of our country. Again, the suggestion that the Government had in mind anything but the well-being and health of the constituents Deputy Mattie McGrath mentions belittles the seriousness of this issue. I absolutely...

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) (No. 2) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I compliment Deputy McNamara on the drafting of this amendment. It is a masterpiece of drafting and I am sure had to be read on many occasions by those souls who judge what is acceptable and not acceptable before they realised it was acceptable. To speak to the substantial matter Deputy McNamara raises, the primary qualifying criterion for the employment wage subsidy scheme is that the...

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) (No. 2) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I will be, but Deputies have raised an array of issues.

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) (No. 2) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I appreciate that. I thank the Deputies for the variety of matters they have raised. I will deal with each of them in turn. I will deal first with the amendment tabled by Deputy Doherty. I am very much aware of the issue the Deputy has raised. His point was that different parts of our economy are now beginning the slow journey into recovery at very different speeds. For some parts of our...

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) (No. 2) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I never said I had the ability to bring in a different percentage contribution for which Deputy Doherty is calling. I simply made the point that I have the ability to vary some of the operation of this scheme during its lifetime. I also know many people, as does the Deputy, who are in part-time work and who have many different employers. I take his point that it is unlikely they will go...

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) (No. 2) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank Deputy Boyd Barrett for his questions. I am not passing anything off. I am introducing an economy-wide scheme. What is implicit in bringing in an economy-wide scheme is that I am not at this point proposing to bring in anything that is different sector by sector. I think it is clear in this legislation that we are looking to introduce a scheme that benefits as many people as...

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) (No. 2) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I want to be clear; this Bill will be implemented as passed by the House. I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the reference to directors in the Bill that is causing concern is an important compliance measure. As I have told Deputy O'Donnell and others, I have received correspondence on this issue in the past 24 hours. The Bill will be implemented as intended and as passed by the...

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) (No. 2) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy's amendment seeks to restrict the hiring practices of employers who access the temporary wage subsidy scheme, the employment wage subsidy scheme or the special warehousing and interest provisions of the Bill. The amendment proposes that entry to such schemes would mean such employers would not be able to hire new workers to fill roles vacated due to layoffs or to hire new workers...

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) (No. 2) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: Deputy Doherty knows I do not have that power.

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) (No. 2) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The order is fixed already.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Help-To-Buy Scheme (29 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Help to Buy incentive (HTB) is a scheme to assist first-time purchasers with a deposit they need to buy or build a new house or apartment.  The incentive gives a refund on Income Tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) paid in the State over the previous four years, subject to limits outlined in the legislation. Section 477C of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (29 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: My Department has provided a Tax Expenditures Report with each Budget since Budget 2016 (the Report on Tax Expenditures 2019 published on the day of Budget 2020 being the most recent).  It can be found at the following link: The versions of this report issued in previous years are also available online, and I expect the next such report, that for 2020, to be published alongside...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Covid-19 Pandemic (29 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, on 21 July 2020, Heads of State and Government reached agreement on the Post-2020 MFF and recovery plan “Next Generation EU”, totalling €1.82 trillion. Difficult discussions took place over four days. The Government has welcomed this agreement. It is a fair and balanced outcomeand demonstrates that Europe can work collectively to deal with...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Freedom of Information (29 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: At the time of answering, there are 23 active Freedom of Information requests being processed in the Department of Finance. There are currently two requests which have exceeded the four week processing timeframe as prescribed under Section 13(1) of the FOI Act.  However, the first request is subject to the extension provided under Section 27 (Fees and charges) and as such, is not...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) was introduced on 26 March 2020 to provide income support to eligible employees where the employer’s business activities have been negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The transitional phase of the scheme operated until 3 May 2020, while the necessary IT systems were being developed. This transitional phase provided a subsidy of...