Results 2,201-2,220 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Written Answers — Public Appointments: Public Appointments (2 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: The Public Appointments Service, PAS, acts as the centralised recruitment, assessment and selection body for the Civil Service, acting at the behest of individual Departments and offices. Civil servants assigned to ICT work in the Civil Service are in general service grades. Staff in these grades can be directly assigned to ICT work or as a result of specially organised competitions, at...

Written Answers — Public Appointments: Public Appointments (2 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: My Department has not awarded any contracts for public relations projects since December 2004.

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (2 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 313 and 315 together. The staffing, grade and remuneration of my constituency office and press office is set out as follows. The actual pay of individuals is not given as this is deemed to be personal information. Constituency Office — Dublin Grade / Title Number Salary Range â'¬ Executive Officer 1 26,618-42,238 Staff Officer 1...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (2 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: I would refer the Deputy to replies to two previous parliamentary questions about this topic, copies of which are being forwarded to him. These are of 17 February 2004 and 28 June 2005, and together they give details of the purpose and recipient of my Departments consultancies in the years he mentions, along with the payments made in each year. As the Deputy will appreciate, given the amount...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (2 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that there are approximately 5,000 road hauliers registered with them — this figure includes both companies and individuals. Revenue have advised me that it is not possible, in the time available, to get detailed information on the amount of arrears of tax and PRSI contributions outstanding from cases in this sector. However, I am informed that...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (2 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: Risk analysis and ameliorating measures are addressed in my Department's decentralisation implementation plan and I have arranged for a copy to be forwarded to the Deputy. In relation to non-property aspects of the decentralisation programme, a report was prepared at the request of the decentralisation implementation group and is available on my Department's decentralisation website at...

Seanad: Tax Code: Motion. (2 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am glad there is a consensus that there should be a minimum wage in the first place since we introduced it. The Opposition parties had three years to introduce it but did not.

Seanad: Tax Code: Motion. (2 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: When they were in office, the entry point in the tax system was €98 per week, which is a little over €2 an hour.

Seanad: Tax Code: Motion. (2 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: Yes, and given that Senator Ryan brought the House through astrological eras, I can refer to the last few years as a more realistic timeframe in which to assess one's commitment to social justice. I am grateful for the opportunity to address the motion. Over the past eight years, the Government's clearly focused tax policy has proven to be a remarkably successful economic tool and has...

Seanad: Tax Code: Motion. (2 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: I can give the Senator the exact figures.

Seanad: Tax Code: Motion. (2 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: The reason I like coming to this House is that I can have a debate.

Seanad: Tax Code: Motion. (2 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: I can get the exact figures for the Senator, however.

Seanad: Tax Code: Motion. (2 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: The generality of my argument is correct. The tax take in capital taxes with lower rates is far greater than the tax take as a percentage of total revenue with higher rates.

Seanad: Tax Code: Motion. (2 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: I would have thought that for those who espouse social justice, it is an argument that would allow them to change their minds.

Seanad: Tax Code: Motion. (2 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: No, it is capital tax. I have indicated that the greater number of assessments accepted as capital gains, and liable for capital gains tax by the Revenue Commissioners, increased by a factor of almost four over an eight-year period from 1995 to 2002. I can forward the details to the Senator but the facts speak for themselves. Our remarkable economic growth has enabled us to invest greater...

Seanad: Tax Code: Motion. (2 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: It depends on how creative they are.

Written Answers — Disabled Drivers: Disabled Drivers (3 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: Supports or services for persons with disabilities or certain physical or mental medical conditions in respect of those disabilities are primarily a matter for the Department of Health and Children. Having said that, I presume that the Deputy means to make reference to an application on behalf of the person concerned for VRT, VAT and mineral oil tax concessions under the disabled drivers and...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (3 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: To be granted charitable tax exemption by the Revenue Commissioners a body must be established solely for charitable purposes and the exemption applies only in so far as the funds are applied for charitable purposes only. The tax exemptions are from income tax, corporation tax, capital gains tax, deposit interest retention tax, capital acquisitions tax, stamp duty, probate tax and dividend...

Written Answers — Tax Yield: Tax Yield (3 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the yield from stamp duties on residential property transactions in 2004 was €752 million and was €672 million in the nine months to end September 2005. A continuation of the average monthly yield for the first nine months, for the remaining three months would give an estimated yield of almost €900 million for 2005.

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (3 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: The rules relating to the maximum amount of tax free lump sum that may be claimed on retirement are as follows. The statutory rules on retirement benefit schemes, that is occupational pension schemes, provide that lump sum benefits paid to employees at a normal retirement age may not exceed 1.5 times the final remuneration of the employee where he or she served with the employer for 20 years...