Results 2,721-2,740 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen
- Written Answers — State Agencies: State Agencies (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: The National Development Finance Agency, NDFA, was established under the National Development Finance Agency Act 2002. Section 3 of the Act sets out its functions in regard to advising State authorities on the optimum means of funding public investment projects in order to achieve value for money, including by means of public private partnership, PPP, arrangements. Under the Act it is a...
- Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: I have no plans to change the scale or scope of the decentralisation programme, to which there has been a very good response rate. In line with the timeframes set out by the decentralisation implementation group in its June report, I expect that up to 1,000 people will have decentralised to 11 locations by the end of 2006 or early 2007. As the Deputy will be aware, there have been...
- Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: The Government is very pleased with the numbers of people who have applied to decentralise. Approximately 10,600 applications have been received so far and new applications are being received each week. Of the total number of CAF applications received to date, 5,600 are from civil and public servants currently located in Dublin. Since the closing of the priority application period on 7...
- Written Answers — Public Service Contracts: Public Service Contracts (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 127, 235 and 247 together. The primary responsibility for the procurement, management and implementation of capital projects rests with individual Departments and public bodies under their aegis subject to compliance with general conditions of sanction and accountability. Accordingly, details in respect of individual projects or contracts are a matter for the...
- Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: As I indicated in my reply to a similar parliamentary question from Deputy Eamon Ryan on 23 November 2004, I understand that the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland have made this suggestion in the context of local government financing, which has been the subject of an independent review commissioned by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I understand this review is...
- Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: Regarding the normal administration of taxes, the Ireland-US double taxation convention provides for exchange of information for the taxes covered by it. Information exchanged is treated as confidential and may only be disclosed to persons concerned with the administration of the taxes covered by the convention. This type of provision is included in most of the double taxation treaties that...
- Written Answers — Motor Fuels: Motor Fuels (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: I assume that the Deputy's question relates to the impact of peak oil prices on the economy. For the purposes of economic forecasting, my Department uses oil price assumptions prepared by the European Commission. As outlined in the stability programme update published on budget day, the assumptions underpinning the economic forecasts are that oil prices â Brent crude â will average $55...
- Written Answers — Fiscal Policy: Fiscal Policy (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: The White Paper forecast of the Exchequer balance for 2005 shows a deficit of â¬850 million. This represents an improvement of â¬2.138 billion compared with the budget 2005 forecast deficit of â¬2.988 billion. This improvement is largely due to an excess of more than â¬1.8 billion in tax receipts. The forecast of the general Government balance, GGB, for 2005 shows a surplus of 0.3% of...
- Written Answers — Interest Rates: Interest Rates (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: As the Deputy will be aware, there is a broad range of factors that determine the effect of changes in interest rates on individual loan repayments. These include, for example, the outstanding loan amount, whether the lending rate is fixed or variable, the length of time over which the increase takes place, the pass-through of interest rate changes to lending rates, the repayment term and the...
- Written Answers — Disabled Drivers: Disabled Drivers (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: The disability criteria for eligibility for the tax concessions under this scheme are set out in the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations 1994. A person must be severely and permanently disabled and satisfy one of the following conditions, namely, be wholly or almost wholly without the use of both legs, be wholly without the use of one leg and almost wholly...
- Written Answers — European Council Meetings: European Council Meetings (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: I did not attend the ECOFIN meeting in Brussels on 6 December 2005 due to pressure to complete final preparations for the Irish national budget, which was announced on 7 December 2005. Ambassador Bobby McDonagh, the Permanent Representative for Ireland to the EU, attended ECOFIN in my absence. The main results of the Council were as follows, namely, the Council adopted conclusions on the...
- Written Answers — Tax Yield: Tax Yield (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: These calculations are based on such information as is available in the tax system at any given time and on estimates of the take-up of reliefs where such information is not readily to hand. The benefit of reliefs can be assessed in a number of ways based on such economic data as may be available or on data specifically gathered as part of a special examination, for example, by outside...
- Written Answers — Disabled Drivers: Disabled Drivers (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: The disability criteria for eligibility for the tax concessions under this scheme are set out in the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations 1994. A person must be severely and permanently disabled and satisfy one of the following conditions: be wholly or almost wholly without the use of both legs; be wholly without the use of one leg and almost wholly without...
- Written Answers — Insurance Industry: Insurance Industry (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: There is no statutory obligation on insurance companies to provide insurance to householders. Whether an insurance company accepts an insurance proposal in respect of a risk is a commercial decision and insurance companies vary in the business they are prepared to accept. Accordingly, people having difficulty obtaining insurance should shop around as some proposals for insurance may be...
- Written Answers — Insurance Industry: Insurance Industry (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: The Insurance Statistical Reviews 2003 and 2004, which gives a breakdown of the business transacted, including claims, in each of those years under the various classes of life and non-life insurance, may be accessed on the financial regulator's website, www.financialregulator.ie, under publications. The 2004 review, published last September, indicates the cost of non-life claims incurred on...
- Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: The Government is pleased with the numbers of people who have applied to decentralise. Approximately 10,600 applications have been received so far and new applications are being received each week. Of the total number of CAF applications received to date 5,600 are from civil and public servants located in Dublin. Since the closing of the priority application period on 7 September 2004, an...
- Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: I have been advised by the Revenue Commissioners that a duplicate PAYE balancing statement for 2004 will issue to the taxpayer's spouse in the coming days. The person concerned is jointly assessed with her husband, with him being the assessable spouse. Balancing statements for the year 2004 previously issued to the assessable spouse on 22 April 2005 and again on 30 August 2005.
- Written Answers — Disabled Drivers: Disabled Drivers (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: The disability criteria for eligibility for the tax concessions under this scheme are set out in the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations 1994. A person must be severely and permanently disabled and satisfy one of the following conditions: be wholly or almost wholly without the use of both legs; be wholly without the use of one leg and almost wholly without...
- Written Answers — Disabled Drivers: Disabled Drivers (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: The disability criteria for eligibility for the tax concessions under this scheme are set out in the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations 1994. A person must be severely and permanently disabled and satisfy one of the following conditions: be wholly or almost wholly without the use of both legs; be wholly without the use of one leg and almost wholly without...
- Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (13 Dec 2005)
Brian Cowen: The new scheme of child minding relief I announced in budget 2006 is designed in part to increase supply of child care and to bring informal resources into the more formal sector. Under the new scheme, where an individual minds up to three children in the minder's own home, no tax or PRSI will be payable on the child minding earnings received, provided the amount is less than â¬10,000 per...