Results 2,621-2,640 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen
- Fiscal Policy. (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: I have already done so. Economic prospects for the Irish economy, despite the Deputy's best efforts to suggest otherwise, remain very positive, notwithstanding the increased uncertaintly evident in the international economy.
- Fiscal Policy. (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: Perhaps I might answer quickly. There is broad consensus among commentators that the Irish economy is set to continue to perform strongly, expanding close to its growth potential both this year and next. Over the medium term, the economy is expected to grow at almost double the rate forecast for the eurozone overall. The pace at which new housing output adjusts downwards to long-term,...
- Decentralisation Programme. (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: I have no plans to change the scale or scope of the decentralisation programme. There have been approximately 10,600 applications for decentralisation so far. New applications are being received every week. For the past 14 months since the closing of the priority application period in September 2004, an average of 100 new applications have been received every month. I have no reason to...
- Decentralisation Programme. (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: As I said, the central applications facility has received approximately 10,600 applications. The breakdown between city and country is approximately 50-50. The latest progress report from the decentralisation implementation group, which is charged with advancing this Government initiative, came to us at the end of June 2005. We hope that, by the end of next year or early 2007, up to 1,000...
- Decentralisation Programme. (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: Within Departments there will be certain assessments or views as matters stand in regard to issues but the Government has brought forward this initiative. We are committed to it. Previous coalition Governments, in which Fine Gael and Labour were involved, halted the decentralisation programmes and then cancelled them. When we returned to office in 1987 we reactivated them with great success....
- Decentralisation Programme. (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: The historical position of those parties has been to oppose decentralisation at all costs.
- Decentralisation Programme. (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: The record of the Deputy's party in office is to the contrary.
- Decentralisation Programme. (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: The Deputy is raving.
- Decentralisation Programme. (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: The Deputy is a constant critic of decentralisation.
- Tax Code. (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: Different countries make different choices on this matter. We choose for good reasons not to index the bands and credits and to deal with each budget with a clean slate, as it were. In this way, the Government can make unconstrained choices in determining priorities in taxation and spending and have the resources to address these appropriately. That is the essence of what government is about.
- Tax Code. (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: I do not agree with what the Deputy said. Irish earnings and employment levels have increased significantly since 1997.
- Tax Code. (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: That is illustrated by the 56% increase in the average industrial wage over that period.
- Tax Code. (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: I will come to that. Changes to the income tax regime since 1997 mean that the average tax rate has been reduced at all income levels. For example, after last week's budget, the average tax rate for a single person on the average industrial wage will be 15% compared with 27% in 1997. In this regard, the position is that a single PAYE worker on the average industrial wage has seen their after...
- Tax Code. (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: The other point I would make to the Deputy is that the historical problem with paying income tax was how quickly one paid at the top rate. Before we came into office, a person paid 48% tax after the first â¬19,400 in earnings. That person now has to earn â¬32,000 before he or she starts paying the top rate, which is reduced by six points to 42%. If the Deputy can find any government in...
- Tax Code. (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: The Deputy should remember that an additional 500,000 people are at work. That is the litmus test of people's satisfaction. I am sure the Deputy knows from visiting his clinics at weekends â it is a nice, competitive constituency â how well this measure is being received.
- Tax Yield. (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: The expected surplus in tax revenues in 2005 was recently estimated at â¬1.8 billion or 4.8%. At the end of November total tax revenues were â¬36,879 million, which was â¬1,722 million or 4.9% ahead of profile. The receipts include â¬489 million from the main special investigations of the Revenue Commissioners, which was â¬294 million higher than expected for the period. Excluding the...
- Tax Yield. (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: I am thankful that I am off target in a positive sense.
- Tax Yield. (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: This occurred because our economy was so successful.
- Tax Yield. (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: I am glad to have this opportunity to deal with the bogus statistic that Fine Gael has been parroting for some time. It takes the total tax take, divides it by the number of households and then states that the burden of taxation has increased, which is nonsense. Every individual in the tax system has paid less tax in terms of average tax taken on income after this and previous budgets. Nobody...
- Tax Yield. (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: Did the Deputy say a present?