Results 2,301-2,320 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (9 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the total tax debt outstanding at 31 March 2005, as reported in Revenue's annual report and in the recent report of the Comptroller and Auditor General was €1.2 billion, not €2.5 billion as quoted by the Deputy. As with any tax system, there will always be people who pay late, people who try to avoid paying and people who can not pay. In this...

Written Answers — Tax Yield: Tax Yield (9 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that figures of the total yield from various special investigations and initiatives by the Revenue Commissioners, which are available for the years 1998 to 2004 and updated to 31 October 2005, are set out in the following table. Yield from Special Investigations up to end October 2005. Heading Total yields â'¬ million DIRT Audits 225.0 ...

Written Answers — National Development Plan: National Development Plan (9 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am broadly satisfied with the rate of both financial and physical implementation of the national development plan, NDP. The monitoring committees for each of the national development plan's seven operational programmes, OPs, have met in recent weeks to consider progress to end June 2005 for their respective programmes. It is estimated that around €39 billion or some 88% of the profiled...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (9 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: The 80% target in An Agreed Programme for Government is given in the context of a broader economic and budgetary strategy which provides, among other things, that the public finances will be kept in a healthy condition and that personal and business taxes will be kept down in order to strengthen and maintain the competitive position of the Irish economy. Further progress in this area will be...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (9 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: From the outset both the Government and I have made it clear that participation in the decentralisation programme is voluntary. Because of the nature of the programme it is not possible at this stage to estimate the number of public servants who do not wish to relocate as individual circumstances are open to change and therefore figures can fluctuate. The picture will become clearer over the...

Written Answers — Revenue Investigations: Revenue Investigations (9 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that their Ansbacher review team has been carrying out detailed investigations since October 1999. The investigation has essentially two elements. There are Ansbacher type arrangements and there are other cases involving offshore funds and deposits. Revenue has advised that the review team has inquired into 289 cases to date and 159 of these cases...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (9 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: As the Deputy is aware, I announced in my Budget Statement that my Department and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners are undertaking a detailed review of certain tax incentive schemes and tax exemptions in 2005. Two external consultancy firms have been examining the area-based and sectoral property tax incentive schemes. The review also involves the examination by my Department and the...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (9 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that a wide range of initiatives has already been taken to inform PAYE taxpayers of their entitlements to tax credits-reliefs and so avoid potential overpayments of tax. Revenue informs me that the vast majority of PAYE workers receive their full entitlements every year. At the beginning of each year a tax credit certificate is issued to every PAYE...

Written Answers — National Development Plan: National Development Plan (9 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 139 and 218 together. The Southern and Eastern Regional Assembly presented the progress report for the southern and eastern operational programme for the period January 2000 to end June 2005 to the programme monitoring committee on 24 October 2005. Expenditure incurred under the programme from 1 January 2005 to 30 June 2005 is €284 million which represents...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (9 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: Article 87(1) of the EC treaty prohibits, in general terms, the granting of aid by the State which distorts competition by favouring certain undertakings or the production of certain goods, in so far as the aid is liable to affect trade between member states. There are a number of components to this provision, all of which must be met before a particular type of support can be classified as a...

Written Answers — Banking Sector Regulation: Banking Sector Regulation (9 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: The central scenario underpinning the Central Bank's Financial Stability Report published on 1 November, is that the outlook for the economy is broadly favourable. In overall terms the report concludes, on the basis of a comprehensive and wide-ranging analysis, that the Irish banking system remains in a good state of health and is reasonably well placed to weather possible adverse changes in...

Written Answers — Fiscal Policy: Fiscal Policy (9 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: Economic growth this year is being sustained primarily by consumption and investment with a weak performance by exports compared to previous years. The composition of economic growth will vary over time and from year to year. As an economy matures, the part played by consumption will tend to increase. The level of export performance in any given year is due to a number of factors both...

Written Answers — Tax Evasion: Tax Evasion (9 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: I refer the Deputy to the long-standing practice of Ministers for Finance not to comment on what may or may not be contained in upcoming budgets. Any steps of the sort mentioned by the Deputy will be a matter for consideration in the context of the budget and Finance Bill.

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (9 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: As previously advised to the Deputy, capital gains tax, CGT, is a tax on a capital gain arising on the disposal of assets. A 20% rate of CGT applies on the gains arising on the disposal of assets, including land which is the subject of a compulsory purchase order, CPO. It was announced in the 2003 budget that no rollover relief would be allowed for any purpose on gains arising from disposals...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (9 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: I have no plans to change the scale or scope of the decentralisation programme. In line with the timeframes set out by the Decentralisation Implementation Group, I expect that up to 1,000 people will have decentralised to 11 locations by end 2006-early 2007. I do not accept the assertion by the Deputy that there has been a very poor response rate to the Government's decentralisation...

Written Answers — Benchmarking Awards: Benchmarking Awards (9 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: In the pay agreement reached in June 2004 under the mid-term review of Sustaining Progress, the parties agreed that the benchmarking body will commence the next benchmarking review in the second half of 2005 and report in the second half of 2007. Talks between the public service employers and unions on the membership of the benchmarking body and its terms of reference have taken place. These...

Written Answers — Public Private Partnerships: Public Private Partnerships (9 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: A list of PPP projects with an estimated capital value over €20 million, which have reached the stage of appointment of client advisers or later, is prepared for the Informal PPP Advisory Group, which meets bi-monthly, and is available on the public private partnership website www.ppp.gov.ie. This list includes PPP projects being undertaken by the following State authorities: National Roads...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (9 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: The latest figures from the central applications facility show there is very substantial interest in the programme. During the period for priority applications up to 7 September 2004, approximately 9,000 applications were made. Over 8,000 of these were from civil servants with the balance made up of applications from public servants. Some 4,813 of the applications were from civil and public...

Written Answers — Public Expenditure: Public Expenditure (9 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am determined that the additional measures will be fully implemented in Departments and implementing agencies and I have also instructed my Department to engage with other Departments in relation to implementing them. I have also written to all Ministers asking them to ensure that their Departments take immediate steps, as appropriate, to implement the initiatives in areas under their...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (9 Nov 2005)

Brian Cowen: The Commissioners of Public Works have informed me that prior to entering into contracts to purchase or lease any particular property solution, a detailed and comprehensive assessment process is carried out. This assessment process includes valuation reports on each option by professionally qualified valuers in order to establish the prevailing market values; a technical evaluation of all...