Results 22,641-22,660 of 27,019 for speaker:Michael Noonan

Written Answers — Department of Finance: House Prices (4 May 2016)

Michael Noonan: According to the Central Statistics Office's Residential Property Price Index, the price of residential property increased by 0.3 per cent nationally between February and March. Over the month of March, property prices increased by 0.9 per cent in Dublin and decreased by 0.2 per cent outside of Dublin. On an annual basis, national property prices increased by 7.4 per cent in...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Credit Availability (4 May 2016)

Michael Noonan: As the Deputy is aware, small businesses play a central role in the sustainable recovery of the Irish economy. To facilitate this, Government policy is focused on ensuring that all viable SMEs have access to an appropriate supply of credit from a diverse range of bank and non-bank sources. Officials from my Department regularly meet representatives from the Small Firms...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Motor Insurance Regulation (4 May 2016)

Michael Noonan: The provision of insurance cover and the price at which it is offered is a commercial matter for insurance companies and is based on an assessment of the risks they are willing to accept and adequate provisioning to meet those risks.  As Minister for Finance, I am responsible for the development of the legal framework governing financial regulation.  Neither...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Commercial Rates Valuation Process (4 May 2016)

Michael Noonan: I have no responsibility for the valuation process within the context of the rates system. Such issues are a matter for the Valuation Office, which comes under the remit of the Department of Justice.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Mortgage Data (4 May 2016)

Michael Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 52 together. As advised in answer to the Deputy's previous PQ, the macro-prudential limits on mortgage lending are designed, implemented and monitored by the Central Bank in its role as regulator of the Irish banking sector, and therefore fall outside of my remit as Minister for Finance. Moreover, the Central Bank does not provide prudential...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Compensation Fund (4 May 2016)

Michael Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 53 and 54 together. The purpose of the Insurance Compensation Fund (ICF) is to provide a certain minimum level of protection for insurance policy holders should an insurance company go into liquidation. The Fund also allows insurance company administrators to apply to the High Court for funding where necessary in order to enable them to meet their...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Industry Regulation (4 May 2016)

Michael Noonan: In 2010, Joint Administrators were appointed by the High Court, at the request of the Central Bank of Ireland, because of concerns about the solvency position of Quinn Insurance Limited (QIL). The following table sets out the total fees and costs incurred by the Joint Administrators of QIL for the period 2010 to 2015. All amounts paid to the Joint Administrators are submitted to and approved...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Levy (4 May 2016)

Michael Noonan: The following table sets out the amounts collected in respect of the various types of insurance related levies for the years requested by the Deputy. The nature of the stamp duty levies are such that the insurance company calculates the levy by reference to the value of the premiums paid on those policies (or in the case of the Health Insurance Levy by reference to the number of persons...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Social and Affordable Housing Funding (4 May 2016)

Michael Noonan: This is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government, Mr. Alan Kelly T.D.  However I would draw the Deputy's attention to the Protocol for the control and monitoring of local authorities contribution to the General Government Balance included as Annex 4 of the Medium Term Budgetary Framework, which was published by my Department in July...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Mortgage Lending (4 May 2016)

Michael Noonan: Section 129 of the Consumer Credit Act provides that a notice, in the form as prescribed in that Act, shall be contained on the front page of a housing loan agreement which falls within the scope of that Act.  Accordingly, it will be a requirement for relevant creditors to comply with the terms of section 129, along with the other relevant sections of the Consumer Credit...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Fiscal Data (4 May 2016)

Michael Noonan: The preparation of the Stability Programme Update April 2016 (SPU) was a necessary step to ensure compliance with requirements under the European Semester. The technical estimates provided illustrate the macro-fiscal outlook over the medium term on a no policy change basis relative to Budget 2016. These estimates form a necessary mid-year input to the Semester process and must be provided...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Property Tax Administration (4 May 2016)

Michael Noonan: I am advised by Revenue that a key aspect of the work undertaken during the implementation of Local Property Tax (LPT) was the development of a comprehensive Register of residential properties in the State. The Register was developed using data drawn from a range of sources including Revenue's own records. Given the scale of the task it was inevitable that a relatively small number of...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Property Tax Exemptions (4 May 2016)

Michael Noonan: I am informed by Revenue that while there is no specific exemption from LPT for persons over 75 years of age, Section 10B of the LPT Act provides for a full exemption from LPT for properties occupied by individuals who are permanently and totally incapacitated to such an extent that they are unable to maintain themselves or to earn a living from any kind of work. The exemption only applies...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Relief Availability (5 May 2016)

Michael Noonan: Tax relief in respect of health expenses is provided for in section 469 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997. Section 469 defines "health expenses" to mean "expenses in respect of the provision of health care [including] the services of a practitioner".  A practitioner is defined in the section as "any person who is (a) registered in the register established under section 43 of the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Household Debt Statistics (5 May 2016)

Michael Noonan: Firstly, I would highlight that people in debt or in danger of getting into debt can avail of the services of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS). This is a national, free, confidential and independent service. MABS has offices throughout the State.I would strongly suggest that anyone with debt or budgeting difficulties should approach their local MABS Office with a view to...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Personal Debt (5 May 2016)

Michael Noonan: Firstly, the Deputy should note that the figures he has quoted refer to loans outstanding for Households and Non-Financial Corporations (NFCs).  It does not include assets held by these groups and so does not cover their net financial position. The most recent Central Bank Quarterly Bulletin reports on this (). It notes that Household debt at end September 2015 stood at its lowest...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Personal Debt (5 May 2016)

Michael Noonan: Please find data provided by the Central Bank of Ireland as follows. € millions Q3 2015 Total Loan Liabilities 1. Non-financial corporations 366,018 2. Households and NPISHs 151,179 Total Private Sector [1+2] 517,197 *NPISH refers to non-profit institutions serving households Data on the stock of private sector credit outstanding firm size (SMEs) on a quarterly basis...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Banking Operations (5 May 2016)

Michael Noonan: I can confirm for the Deputy that, further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 91 of 14 April 2016 and 99 of 26 April 2016, I have no knowledge that any of my officials were aware of a bank's involvement with a firm of contractors, the details of which were supplied by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Vehicle Registration (5 May 2016)

Michael Noonan: I am advised by Revenue that the Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) paid by the person concerned was based on the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP) of the vehicle at the time of registration. The VRT charged was confirmed both by a Revenue Appeals Officer and by the Appeal Commissioner. A valid NCT certificate is required for the vehicle to now qualify for the export repayment scheme. Any...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Bodies (5 May 2016)

Michael Noonan: This question is more appropriate for my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. A similar question (ref: 25136/15) was answered on Tuesday 23rdJune 2015.