Results 25,861-25,880 of 27,019 for speaker:Michael Noonan
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: 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 2017) Michael Noonan: I do not know anyone who goes around with a boot-load of valuables unless they are involved in criminal activity. That is not where we are at. If the Deputy is talking about someone going in to Lifford or Strabane for the messages and bringing them home in the boot of the car-----
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: 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 2017) Michael Noonan: These are issues that have to be worked out.
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: 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 2017) Michael Noonan: There is whole of Department involvement as necessary in Brexit. The four people the Deputy is speaking about should be seen as co-ordinating the efforts of everybody else and being the point of contact in the Department. There is a whole of Government approach to Brexit, there is a cross-departmental approach to Brexit and then there are some designated officers who are the point of contact.
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: 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 2017) Michael Noonan: There are 25 in total, from the information I have here. That is, six assistant principal officers, 12 administrative officers, two higher executive officers, two executive officers and three clerical officers, which brings us to a total of 25. I saw some publicity which suggested there were only four people in the Department of Finance involved in this very important issue, Brexit. I am...
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: 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 2017) Michael Noonan: The matter is still being discussed by the Public Accounts Committee. I volunteered at the PAC's request to appear before it. I gave five hours of evidence and my officials and I were there for three days with innumerable hours of evidence. The matter which the newspapers are now saying will be the basis of an adverse finding against me was never raised with me in five hours of evidence....
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: 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 2017) Michael Noonan: The commission of inquiry will be under the authority of the Department of the Taoiseach. When the terms of reference are developed I presume they will include the Department of Finance and the Minster for Finance. As always, we will co-operate fully and provide everything we have that is relevant. We have already done so with the PAC anyway so all the relevant documents are already posted...
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: 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 2017) Michael Noonan: At the budget time the forecast for growth in the Irish economy was 3.5%. We are maintaining that as the forecast even though there are some signs of variations on it. In January, the Central Bank marked the forecast down to 3.3% while Davy's Stockbrokers marked it up to 5% on the basis of recent data showing that domestic demand continues to be strong. I think there would be agreement...
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: 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 2017) Michael Noonan: Yes, but it is better than negative growth. On investment, like Ireland, Europe experienced a crisis but its impact was uneven across the Continent. It impacted more strongly on one set of countries than others. As a general observation, Europe is underinvested in infrastructure. Ireland is underinvested, in my view, in both social and economic infrastructure. In terms of economic...
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: 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 2017) Michael Noonan: Yes. I am speaking about the large projects from which we could expect a revenue flow.
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: 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 2017) Michael Noonan: In terms of the motorway approaching it, there are two contracts under way, one starting in Tuam and the other in Gort, which is hoped will meet half way. If they do not, we will have two motorways. People will driving on that motorway at the back end of this year. There are other large projects in the pipeline. I agree with the general principle behind Deputy Sherlock's question, namely,...
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: 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 2017) Michael Noonan: Impaired banks all over Europe have been disposing of impaired loan books. The sale of 25% of AIB and what it might do with its impaired loan books is not connected. I am aware that AIB is examining the possibility of selling a loan book but my understanding is that loan book is in the main buy-to-rent rather than private mortgages. The big problem with vulture funds is their names. The...
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: 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 2017) Michael Noonan: I understand that the Committee of Public Accounts has generated a document that is now the subject for discussion among its members, starting later this afternoon. As that is two steps away from a report, we will see where it lands. I have no knowledge of where it might land at the end of the discussion. In respect of the leaked document reported in the newspapers that suggests an...
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: 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 2017) Michael Noonan: I meet people every week. I meet investors every week. It is my job. On this occasion the chairman of Cerberus came in from America. He requested to meet me. He was John Snow. He was a former Secretary of the Treasury in one of the Bush Administrations.
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: 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 2017) Michael Noonan: No. The Chairman should not watch "Game of Thrones" as it clouds his judgment. I meet people all of the time and I bring a note taker with me. Usually it ends up as a public document because we put most stuff up on the Internet and everything else is looked for under freedom of information, as this was. If the Deputy wants to check, the minute of that meeting has been up on the Internet...
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: 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 2017) Michael Noonan: -----because they were negotiating with NAMA, people look for meetings with me and I meet them. I protect myself and I protect the Administration by making sure there is an accurate note taken and a minute generated. That is all I can do. My diary is the subject of freedom of information so that one can go back in it and say why one met one person or another. I meet them because it is my...
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: 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 2017) Michael Noonan: I am relying on newspaper leaks. Among the confidences I have, I have confidence in Deputy Sean Fleming who is the Chairman of the Committee of Public Accounts. I hope he will straighten these things out.
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: 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 2017) Michael Noonan: If they come into me I shall mention it.
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: 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 2017) Michael Noonan: The amount of meetings now with people who buy loanbooks is limited. It started very strongly around 2014 and has pretty well worked its way through the system. NAMA has redeemed something like €30 billion worth of the loan notes that it had. In terms of assets the notes are down to about €1.5 billion so its work is nearly complete. I do not know how far up the road the IBRC...
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: 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 2017) Michael Noonan: I thought the Chairman's suggestion was very interesting and we have had a look at it. The Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government is progressing it in terms of circumstances in which a fund could be put together to purchase houses whose owners had impaired mortgages and in effect to rent them back to them. I think it is a very good suggestion. It is being actively...
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: 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 2017) Michael Noonan: My note says that the Housing Agency will work with a number of financial entities that have come forward with an interest in working the mortgage-to-rent scheme to progress a number of pilot alternative leasing arrangements. The objective is to explore what is available within the current market and to determine if this alternative model will benefit a greater number of households. At...