Results 26,801-26,820 of 33,214 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Covid-19 Pandemic (22 Mar 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government agreed to give a recognition payment of €1,000, for eligible frontline health and ambulance workers. An equivalent payment will be provided for relevant staff in private sector nursing homes and hospices that were affected by Covid-19. Policy in relation to the payment is, in the first instance, a matter for the Minister for Health. However,...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: World Economic Forum (22 Mar 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: The Annual Meetings of the World Economic Forum (WEF) normally take place in Davos, Switzerland in January of each year. An invitation to the Minister for Finance is usually received annually and officials in my Department liaise with the organisers regarding ministerial attendance and participation in panel discussions. I last attended the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Ukraine War (22 Mar 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: It is first important to note that Russia’s war is illegal, immoral and unjustified. Ireland’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering. We have been working closely with our EU partners and fellow Member States in the adoption of sanctions in response to Russia’s violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and all...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Housing Schemes (22 Mar 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: Home Building Finance Ireland was established to increase the supply of new homes for owner-occupiers, renters and social housing by providing funding on commercial terms to housebuilders for commercially viable developments throughout Ireland.  To December 2021, HBFI has approved funding of €835m across 71 projects in 18 counties.  This funding will support the building of...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Housing Schemes (22 Mar 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) has informed me that it is a commercial investor in businesses, platforms and projects which support the delivery of new homes in Ireland.  These investments are in private market commercial operations, typically featuring a significant quantum of third-party investment.  As such, the activities of individual investments are commercial...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Banking Sector (22 Mar 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: The Affordable Housing Act 2021 laid the foundation for two new affordable purchase schemes: the first to be delivered via Local Authorities and the Land Development Agency, and the second a national 'First Home' shared equity scheme supporting purchases in the private market. On the basis that the purchaser of a home will generally require a mortgage to secure a home, I can confirm that...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Ukraine War (22 Mar 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy may be aware, as Minister for Finance I am Ireland’s Governor to a number of global and European International Financial Institutions (IFIs) including the World Bank, the IMF, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) as well as a number of other regional multilateral development banks. The IFI community has reacted...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Yield (22 Mar 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: The regulation of gambling in Ireland is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Justice. Gambling regulation is currently provided for principally by the Betting Act 1931 (as amended) and the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956 (as amended). Gaming is defined by section 2 of the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956 as playing a game (whether of skill or chance or partly of skill and partly...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Banking Sector (22 Mar 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: As Minister for Finance, I do not have a direct function in the operations of any bank. Although the State is a shareholder in some of the banks operating in the State, they must be run on a commercial and independent basis. While the charging of fees is a commercial decision for regulated entities, within the parameters of the regulatory framework, under Section 149 of the Consumer...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Credit Unions (22 Mar 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 250, 259, 260 and 268 together. This Government recognises the importance of credit unions. The Programme for Government contains commitments to: - Review the policy framework within which Credit Unions operate; - Enable and support the Credit Union movement to grow; and - Support Credit Unions in the expansion of services, to encourage community...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Revenue Commissioners (22 Mar 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 251, 252, 253, 254, 255, 256, 257 and 258 together. I am advised by Revenue that the total number of taxpayer queries dealt with through its telephone and MyEnquiries service channels for the years 2018 to 2022 (to date) is set out in the table below. Revenue has also confirmed that approximately 68% of queries received through MyEnquiries were responded to...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (22 Mar 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that the person’s standard rate tax band was allocated in full to his other income, which meant that his annuity pension was taxed at the higher rate. I am further advised that following discussions with the person, Revenue has reallocated the appropriate portion of his standard rate tax band to his annuity pension for 2022 and has updated his Universal...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Ukraine War (22 Mar 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: As Minister for Finance, I am responsible for the development of the legal framework governing regulation of the insurance sector.  Neither I, nor the Central Bank of Ireland, can direct the pricing or provision of insurance products, as this is a commercial matter which individual companies assess on a case-by-case basis. This position is reinforced by the EU Single Market framework for...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Ukraine War (22 Mar 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: The EU Payment Accounts Directive, which is transposed in Ireland by the Payment Accounts Regulation 2016, introduced the right for any consumer who is legally resident in the European Union and who does not already have a payment account with a credit institution in the State to open and use a payment account with basic features.  The Directive explicitly states that a consumer who...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (22 Mar 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 264 and 265 together. I understand that the proposal for reform of VAT rates is currently being finalised, this process involves, inter alia, ensuring consistent translations of the text in every working language of the European Union. Once finalised I expect the proposal will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union in the coming weeks....

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Electric Vehicles (22 Mar 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: In Finance Act 2021 I extended the BIK exemption to end 2025 with a tapering mechanism that represents a value for money consideration and serves to indicate the removal of the relief altogether in 2025. This extension is in support of Government policy to incentivise the transition to electric vehicles, while the lead in time allows for fleet planning. In Finance Act 2019 I legislated...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Credits (22 Mar 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that the home carer tax credit may be claimed by jointly assessed married persons or civil partners where one spouse or civil partner (the ‘home carer’) cares for one or more dependent persons. A dependent person includes an individual who, at any time in the year of assessment, is: - a child in respect of whom the home carer, or his or her spouse or...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Fuel Prices (22 Mar 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that arising from an employee’s entitlement to a tax deduction under section 114 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, in respect of certain expenses, there exists a long-standing Revenue practice under which employers may reimburse tax-free to employees the expenses of travel and subsistence relating to that travel, subject to certain conditions being fulfilled....

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Housing Schemes (22 Mar 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: The Help to Buy (HTB) incentive is a scheme to assist first-time purchasers with the deposit they need to buy or build a new house or apartment. The incentive gives a refund on Income Tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) paid in the State over the previous four years, subject to limits outlined in the legislation. Section 477C Taxes Consolidation Act (TCA) 1997 outlines the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (22 Mar 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: At the outset, the Deputy should note that I am assuming he is referring to a second property as opposed to a second-hand property, and I am responding to his question accordingly.  I would firstly like to note that, for property owners selling their own home there is an exemption from Capital Gains Tax (CGT) for the transfer or sale of an individual’s principal private...