Results 27,361-27,380 of 33,214 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I urge those who are so concerned about their work and conditions to engage in the processes available in the State for the resolution of these matters and in the wage discussions now underway.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: We are seeing many indications now from central banks all over the world that they are going ahead with interest rate changes and also withdrawing the major emergency funding plans they had in place during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is not for me to speculate, and it would not be appropriate for me to do so, on what the ECB will do. I must recognise its independence. Mortgage holders in...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: We absolutely appreciate the value of home care and the difference it makes to those families who need this support at difficult times when they are vulnerable. The Department of Health has allocated a large additional budget to provide more home help hours. As the Deputy may be aware, the challenge we are facing is in recruiting the staff needed to provide this care. I will have to...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I know how important the summer camps are at a time when schools are closed and families need some additional support to get through a summer that can sometimes feel very long. I am sure the matter is being progressed if the Deputy has already raised it with the Taoiseach, but I will also follow up on it with the Minister for Health.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: The Government will do all it can to support the development of Shannon Airport. It is a critical airport for aviation and for supporting the local economies to which the Deputy referred. The Government has not made a final decision on how funding from the Brexit adjustment reserve fund could be used against airports like that, but I will keep in mind what he has said. I am aware of the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. We are now at a very early stage in putting together budget 2023. The programme for Government is very clear. We want to put in place an environment that ensures that as wages go up, those who are working so hard for those wages, in particular at a time when the cost of living is going up, also see higher wages feed through into an improvement in...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: That is a decision made by the National Transport Authority rather than by the Department of Transport or the Minister, Deputy Ryan. I am sure the Deputy has raised his concerns with and given his views directly to the NTA. I am sure that if this is a matter that is important to him, Deputy Higgins is also engaged with and following up on the matter. I will ensure the National Transport...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: This is a very important issue and was the subject of a retail banking forum convened in Tullamore a few weeks ago by me and the Department of Finance. I and my officials have engaged directly with the banks that are here and those that are leaving to make it clear this massive moment of change in the Irish banking system has to advance in the most orderly way possible. It is going to be a...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: The Government could not be any clearer in its response to the actions that have been taken unilaterally by the British Government. We believe it is a clear breach of faith with regard to the protocol that was negotiated over many years. We believe the action and harm it could cause to our country and to the economy and stability of Northern Ireland is immense. I join in what the Taoiseach...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will appreciate, given the sensitivity of the matter and the really important healthcare decisions that are made when a new drug is made available, it is not a decision the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, himself or even, I believe, the Department of Health makes. There is an outside body that advises them on the purchases of new drugs that should be made, to whom they should be...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: The Minister, Deputy Foley, is aware of this issue. She is aware of the importance of class sizes and the role they play in delivering the kind of education our young girls and boys need. I am sure she will listen very carefully and try to respond to the issue the Deputy raises.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: The Minister, Deputy Donnelly, is very much aware of the pressure patients and staff in University Hospital Limerick are facing. If those beds are delivered as quickly as possible, it will help with the pressures Deputy Quinlivan has raised. The Department of Health is looking at what additional measures can be put in place to deal with the real challenges there at present with hospital...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: We absolutely appreciate the huge challenges many are facing with the rising cost of living. Deputy Griffin will know the measures we have put in place to reduce excise are among the biggest excise reductions governments across Europe have put in place. My focus at the moment is on how we can support again and intervene again when we prepare and deliver the budget. I believe the budget is...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: We cannot stop a bank leaving if it decides to leave. The Central Bank cannot do so and the Government cannot do so, and the Deputy knows that. Looking at the supervisory measures that are in place, a central bank cannot stop a bank if it decides it is going to close a branch, and I think Deputy McNamara is aware of that. Am I happy with the supervisory efforts of the Central Bank in...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: The Government is well aware of the importance of energy supply for any economy, particularly a small open economy like our own, and is taking measures to ensure that in the time ahead we can preserve continuity of energy supply even at a time when we know that prices are changing. I am aware of the very specific issue being raised by the Deputy and, indeed, Deputy Griffin has also raised...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Legislative Programme (14 Jun 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: The Central Bank (Individual Accountability Framework) Bill will drive positive changes in terms of culture, greater delegation of responsibilities, and enhanced accountability while simplifying the taking of sanctions against individuals who fail in their financial sector roles. The General Scheme of the Central Bank (Individual Accountability Framework) Bill was approved by Government and...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs (14 Jun 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: Tax relief for Trade Union subscriptions was previously provided for under section 472C of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (TCA). The relief was introduced in 2001 and abolished from 2011 onwards. Professional membership fees are deductible under section 114 TCA where those fees are incurred wholly, exclusively and necessarily by an individual in the performance of the duties of his or her...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (14 Jun 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 366 to 369, inclusive, together. Ireland’s taxation of fuel is governed by European Union law as set out in Directive 2003/96/EC, commonly known as the Energy Tax Directive (ETD). The ETD prescribes minimum tax rates for fuel with which all Member States must comply. ETD provisions on mineral oils are transposed into national law in the Finance Act 1999...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs (14 Jun 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 370 and 371 together. Rental income from the leasing of agricultural land is exempt from income tax under Section 664 of the Taxes Consolidation Act (1997). I am advised by Revenue that the total tax relief, the average tax relief, and the average overall tax liability of taxpayer units claiming this relief in the years 2017 to 2019 (the latest year for which...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Primary Medical Certificates (14 Jun 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 372 and 415 together. The Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers Scheme provides relief from Vehicle Registration Tax and VAT on the purchase and use of an adapted car, as well as an exemption from motor tax and an annual fuel grant.The Scheme is open to severely and permanently disabled persons as a driver or as a passenger and also to certain...