Results 22,541-22,560 of 33,118 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Insurance Costs (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I am not interested in sound bites on this; I am interested in making progress on an issue I know is very serious. The data the Central Bank has published show the progress that has been made on motor insurance premiums.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The stay-and-spend scheme provides tax relief by means of a tax credit at the rate of 20% on qualifying expenditure of up to €625 per person, or €1,250 for a jointly assessed couple. It opened on 1 October 2020 and is scheduled to run until 30 April 2021. The tax credit is worth a maximum of €125, or €250 for a jointly assessed couple. The purpose of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I remind the Deputy that, unfortunately, much of the money to which he refers is money that we are borrowing, so if the stay-and-spend scheme ends up costing far less than I expect, much of that will be due to reasons that are beyond my control. This means, in effect, that we are borrowing less and adding further debt onto this generation and generations to come. The scheme's...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: That is another constructive suggestion from the Deputy. We evaluated what opportunities there were for supporting local spend and supporting activity in local shops which, as the Deputy stated, have had a very, very difficult year this year. It was in recognition of the challenges retailers faced that the Government in the July jobs plan lowered the standard rate of VAT. As the Deputy...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Primary Medical Certificates (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The short answer is that to deal with that matter I have brought forward an amendment to the Finance Bill to provide for the existing medical criteria in primary legislation and I hope it will be accepted by the House on Report Stage next week. That will allow the continuation of the issuing of certificates once the Bill is passed. This is only an interim solution. On Committee Stage, I...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Primary Medical Certificates (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: When the Bill is enacted, it will allow for assessments to recommence in circumstances where the legal basis for such assessments is clarified. The Deputy asked why this is only being done now. The answer is that it must be done by means of amendment through a finance Bill. Finance Bills are progressed at budget time, so I had to await the opportunity of this year's Finance Bill to make...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Primary Medical Certificates (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy speaks with real pedigree regarding emergency legislation that he voted for being brought in. He voted for some of the legislation that had the most damaging effect on the State and burdened generations to come with the debt with which we are still dealing. I do not know where in my statement he got any hint of harshness. I think he must have been distracted and looking at...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Savings Schemes (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 65 and 77 together. The introduction of any new State-supported savings measures would normally be considered as part of the annual budgetary and finance Bill processes. Given that precautionary saving is likely to have increased as a result of the pandemic, the need for the State to encourage further saving or introduce any State-backed investment scheme is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Savings Schemes (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy has raised an incredibly important point. The reason we have had a higher level of public spending in place is to coincide exactly with the huge reduction in private spending, consumption and investment which has, in turn, been mirrored by the increase in savings to which he referred. When we get into a situation where those savings begin to be released into our economy, we will...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Savings Schemes (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Tánaiste launched a very important initiative yesterday, the Look for Local campaign, which encourages consumers to be aware of the opportunities to spend with local business. The Deputy made the important point that in a open economy such as ours, it is possible that when people start spending again, the money may be spent to the benefit of businesses other than those involved in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for recognising the value of the CRSS. I will comment first on its national performance, after which I will provide the information requested by the Deputy in respect of his constituency. The registration system for the CRSS was released by Revenue on 1 November. Up to 26 November 2020, 10,200 businesses had registered for the scheme in respect of 11,100 business...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I can give the Deputy further information about his constituency in the context of how the counties are drawing down the other supports he mentioned. Looking at Offaly and Laois collectively, there are now 379 employers participating in the employment wage subsidy scheme. There are 4,056 employees of those 379 employers participating in the scheme. I raise that because that is the other...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. A similar matter was raised with me yesterday in the Dáil. The employment wage subsidy scheme, in particular, is supporting businesses that have every prospect of being viable again in the future. We all hope that opportunity for viability will come sooner rather than later. That is why implementing public health guidance is so important....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Code (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: A fundamental principle of the capital acquisitions tax, CAT, regime is that inheritance or gift tax is levied on the beneficiary and that the level of taxation is determined according to his or her relationship with the disponer. The reason for this approach is that the capital being transferred has not been earned by the beneficiary and the effective taxation of windfall capital is an...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Code (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: We are in the annual process of passing the Finance Bill and Report Stage will be taken in the House next week. I have indicated that I do not have plans to change the thresholds to which Deputy Naughten refers in the Finance Bill. It is important that I am open about that to the House. I do not believe that such changes are currently merited given the huge pressure that we are under to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Code (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: Deputy Naughten raises an important matter in regard to care. The care that people provide to other family members is indispensable to those families and also allows the State to look after those who are vulnerable, in particular those who are elderly and vulnerable. I have concerns about making changes to a scheme that does provide such a significant amount of additional relief under...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Insurance Industry (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I acknowledge all the work Deputy Nash has done in raising the interests of the arts sector. It is an area that he and I both feel very strongly about. We look forward to the point at which we will be able to enjoy live music gigs again. We truly appreciate the value of live performance when we are not able to enjoy it in the way we were in the past. I recognise the work done by the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Insurance Industry (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes, I will raise this matter. I am aware that forbearance measures are being made available to the arts sector, but I did think that they were being made available in a manner that was typical of what happened with motor insurance earlier in the year. My understanding is that this was not being done through a common forbearance decision, but that it was being dealt with on a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Insurance Industry (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: We have a while to go on that yet but I hope they will be able to do that with as low a level of debt as possible. I will get back to Deputy Nash on the matter.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Insurance Industry (26 Nov 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I assure Deputy Nash that we are trying to get the balance right between the absolute imperative of keeping citizens safe and healthy and recognising the deep and intrinsic value of culture. Such culture includes live performances and museums. I look forward to the day, for example, when schoolchildren can go into our museums again and we can have Irish and international artists performing...