Results 24,281-24,300 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (15 Feb 2023)

Michael McGrath: I believe it is. If the Deputy looks at the Estimate that had been provided for 2022, it was €894,000. The outturn was dramatically below the Estimate. It represents a near doubling relative to the outturn, as the Deputy said, but it is a more modest increase relative to the Estimate that was given for 2022.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (15 Feb 2023)

Michael McGrath: I think it is accounted for by increased travel to European meetings, the IMF, the World Bank and more external engagement. There is an opportunity for the Government and our officials to get out there more and have more external engagement.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (15 Feb 2023)

Michael McGrath: I do not have it to hand. We can send it on.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (15 Feb 2023)

Michael McGrath: It is relating to the offices and premises that the Department has and has control of. That would include, of course, the costs of the permanent representative office, the costs we have in Brussels, general maintenance, light, heat and fuel, health and safety expenses, relocation and sundry expenses. The 2023 allocation was provided to include infrastructural upgrades of The Billets...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (15 Feb 2023)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which I know is one of serious concern to those who are directly impacted. I am anxious to see progress now quickly in getting the disabled drivers medical board of appeal back up and running. I do believe that we are almost there. Garda vetting for all five candidates has recently been completed. All have been nominated by the Minister for...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (15 Feb 2023)

Michael McGrath: Conversation.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (15 Feb 2023)

Michael McGrath: I look at it a little differently. I do not think we start by saying it will cost more. Perhaps it will, but it could be quite a different scheme. One of the questions is around whether we are best to approach this through a grant-based scheme as opposed to a tax-based scheme. That is the first question that needs to be answered. I will not pre-empt the outcome of the report that has, I...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (15 Feb 2023)

Michael McGrath: My priority is to get the board of appeal up and running so the backlog of appeal cases can be addressed. There are people all over the country waiting for that to happen and to have their case heard and processed. I expect the appeal board will be populated with members and start to function within weeks. That is my understanding, and I will do whatever needs to be done to make sure that...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (15 Feb 2023)

Michael McGrath: I will add a quick point to my response on that issue. If there is a situation where, by its nature, the work has to be done abroad and that then triggers a tax liability on the importation of the vehicle, we have to address that when reforming this scheme or coming up with a replacement scheme. I acknowledge that. However, as the Deputy acknowledged, I cannot intervene in Revenue's...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (15 Feb 2023)

Michael McGrath: Under subhead A4, consultancy and other services, the estimate is €748,000 for the current year, which is less than the estimate for 2022 but is significantly higher than the projected outturn. I understand that much of that cost relates to the joint research work that is done with the ESRI. We can provide more granular detail on that, if required. Subhead B4, consultancy and other...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (15 Feb 2023)

Michael McGrath: I acknowledge the increase in interest rates since last July is having a direct impact on mortgage holders and businesses. We have seen the cost of borrowing for governments, including Ireland's, also increase over that period. As the Deputy knows, mortgage interest relief has been phased out. It no longer exists for mortgage holders. The debate we had in the past was about extending...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (15 Feb 2023)

Michael McGrath: What does it cost?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (15 Feb 2023)

Michael McGrath: How long would it last?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (15 Feb 2023)

Michael McGrath: As Minister for Finance, I am absolutely entitled to engage directly with the Central Bank and tease out with its officials the respective roles of the Executive, that is, the Government, and the role of the Central Bank as regulator. That is why I raised the issues directly in person and in writing. We had an initial response from the Central Bank about its consumer protection supervisory...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (15 Feb 2023)

Michael McGrath: I gave a number of examples earlier on where every week the Deputy seems to be making it up as he goes along. There are new spending and taxation proposals. He never sets out what his overall plan is and how much he plans to spend across this year.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (15 Feb 2023)

Michael McGrath: Deputy.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (15 Feb 2023)

Michael McGrath: That is exactly the point. The Deputy sets it out in the plans of the budget.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (15 Feb 2023)

Michael McGrath: But then, beyond the budget, he keeps coming forward with a whole load of new things that were not in his budget submission. The Deputy has referred to mortgage interest relief.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (15 Feb 2023)

Michael McGrath: Hold on a minute, now. When the Deputy had the choice to support mortgage holders in introducing his alternative budget, he chose not to support mortgage holders despite that interest rates had started to rise and the direction of travel of ECB rates was clear and well flagged.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (15 Feb 2023)

Michael McGrath: Could I finish? I did not interrupt the Deputy. It is a cost-free approach for the Deputy after the budget to come forward with a whole host of new measures he did not include in his alternative budget for the year. The Deputy is shaking his head because he does not want to hear that, but it is the reality. It is a free shot. He can come in every week and tell everyone he is on their...