Results 2,201-2,220 of 27,019 for speaker:Michael Noonan

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (22 Jun 2011)

Michael Noonan: Ireland has a long-established budgetary framework which has undergone a series of reforms in recent years to assist in making the budgetary process more transparent and effective. Moves have been made in the last year or so to accelerate this process of reform and the bringing forward of the draft Fiscal Responsibility legislation will be central in this regard. While the matter has yet to...

Written Answers — Insurance Industry: Insurance Industry (22 Jun 2011)

Michael Noonan: The question of providing cover to new policyholders or renewing it for existing ones is a matter for each insurance company to decide on a case by case basis. This allows a company to assess properly the risk it is considering accepting. Consequently, I am not in a position to comment on particular cases as neither the Central Bank nor I, as Minister for Finance, have any influence over...

Written Answers — Tobacco Prices: Tobacco Prices (22 Jun 2011)

Michael Noonan: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the annual increases in the retail price category of the most popular price category of 20 filter tipped cigarettes since 1999, together with the requested breakdown, are set out in the following table.

Written Answers — Public Procurement: Public Procurement (22 Jun 2011)

Michael Noonan: Under EU Directives contracting authorities are obliged to advertise contracts valued above certain thresholds in the Official Journal of the European Union as well as on the national public procurement website www.etenders.ie . The current EU Directive threshold for public works contracts (exclusive of VAT) is €4,845,000. Therefore projects of the value referred to by the Deputy are not...

Written Answers — Criminal Prosecutions: Criminal Prosecutions (22 Jun 2011)

Michael Noonan: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners who have primary responsibility for tackling cigarette smuggling, including the investigation of related offences, that the seizure referred to by the Deputy was part of Operation Samhna which was carried out in Greenore, Co Louth, in October 2009. This operation focused on a general cargo vessel, which arrived from the Philippines carrying over 120...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (22 Jun 2011)

Michael Noonan: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that all payments made to that office in respect of PRSI Contributions for the individual concerned are on the records of the Department of Social Protection and have been correctly credited by that Department to the individual's PRSI records.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (22 Jun 2011)

Michael Noonan: There are currently 4 staff members (1 Principal, 2 Assistant Principals and 1 Higher Executive Officer) in my Department working on North/South related matters as established under the Good Friday Agreement. In addition, these staff members are also responsible for other areas of work i.e. EU Structural Funds and other programmes. Prioritisation of resource allocation in my Department is...

Written Answers — Public Sector Staff: Public Sector Staff (23 Jun 2011)

Michael Noonan: There are no early retirement packages available currently in the Civil/Public Service. The only provision available for early retirement is the Cost Neutral Early Retirement (CNER) Scheme which has been in operation since April 2005. The scheme permits persons who are within ten years of their preserved pension age (which is generally 60 or 65) to make an application to be allowed to...

Written Answers — Departmental Functions: Departmental Functions (23 Jun 2011)

Michael Noonan: As with all enterprises, public or private sector, compatibility and communication between disparate systems is generally achieved by the use of recognised industry-standard data formats where available. All guidance reflects to need for public bodies to comply with international standards and to implement industry standards where international ones do not exist. The Programme for...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (23 Jun 2011)

Michael Noonan: The Government is committed to reducing public service numbers in accordance with the Programme for Government. The actual exit mechanisms to be used will depend in part on the rate of natural wastage and decisions taken under the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure on the required future size of particular sectors and bodies.

Written Answers — Bank Guarantee Scheme: Bank Guarantee Scheme (23 Jun 2011)

Michael Noonan: The most up to date information on the detailed deposit funding position of the covered institutions is set out in the Financial Measures Programme (Chart 5) published on the Central Bank of Ireland website, http://www.centralbank.ie. Current institution specific information is not presented in the report owing to its commercial confidentiality. The most recent published information on...

Written Answers — Bank Deposits: Bank Deposits (23 Jun 2011)

Michael Noonan: I am informed by the Central Bank that it does not hold or require regulated firms to provide it with any information in respect of non–repatriated profits for any group of firms. Banks secure their funding from a variety of sources and also receive deposits from their customer base. There is no distinction made by banks reporting to the Central Bank on the nature of the funding or...

Written Answers — Bank Guarantee Scheme: Bank Guarantee Scheme (23 Jun 2011)

Michael Noonan: No payments have arisen for the State in respect of any of the banks' guaranteed liabilities. It will be a matter of the utmost priority for the Government to ensure that no payment under the Guarantee arises in the future. The Deputy will be aware that Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) published on 1 April 2011 the total senior and subordinated debt issuances by those banks covered by the...

Written Answers — Tax Clearance Certificates: Tax Clearance Certificates (23 Jun 2011)

Michael Noonan: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the organisation concerned has substantial tax debts and on that basis, Revenue will not issue a tax clearance certificate at this time. Revenue has afforded the organisation an opportunity to address certain matters by 27 June at which stage, if these matters are satisfactorily addressed, there may be scope for discussion on how matters may...

Written Answers — National Asset Management Agency: National Asset Management Agency (23 Jun 2011)

Michael Noonan: There are sufficient provisions in the NAMA legislation to ensure appropriate accountability to me as the Minister for Finance and to the Oireachtas. The NAMA legislation provides for various reporting mechanisms that underpin the accountability of the Agency to the Oireachtas, including: section 59 which makes provision for the Chairperson and CEO of NAMA to appear before a Committee of...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (23 Jun 2011)

Michael Noonan: The Government is committed to a wide-ranging agenda of reform in relation to its budgetary architecture. The commitment is set out both in the Programme for Government and the Joint EU/IMF Programme of Financial Support for Ireland, and includes the establishment of a Fiscal Advisory Council. As the Deputy may be aware, the Memorandum of Understanding on Specific Economic Policy...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (23 Jun 2011)

Michael Noonan: Public servants who are members of public service pension schemes are liable to pay the pension-related deduction legislated for in the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009. The applicability of the deduction to staff at the academy referred to by the Deputy arises from section 1 of the Act, by way of the definition of 'public service body', which includes, at...

Written Answers — Croke Park Agreement: Croke Park Agreement (23 Jun 2011)

Michael Noonan: Under current standard terms of employment, public servants generally can earn a pension of up to half their final salary and a lump sum of up to one and one half times that salary depending on years served. The precise calculations of the amount involved as sought by the Deputy are not available to me at this time. However, the relevance of this to the estimated sum of €289 million in...

Written Answers — Banks Recapitalisation: Banks Recapitalisation (23 Jun 2011)

Michael Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 to 65, inclusive, together. The Government's policy with regard to senior bondholders is consistent and has not changed from the position I set out in my Statement on Banking on 31 March last. All senior bondholders in the pillar banks AIB/EBS and Bank of Ireland, and Irish Life and Permanent, whether guaranteed or unguaranteed, will be repaid in full....

Written Answers — EU-IMF Programme: EU-IMF Programme (23 Jun 2011)

Michael Noonan: There is no question of the Government restructuring its debt. We are determined to work with our European colleagues to find a common, shared approach to the issue of the sovereign debt crisis. We are committed to taking the steps necessary to restore our public finances to a sustainable position and implementing the policies that will assist this economy in returning to growth and...