Results 33,221-33,240 of 33,289 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tax Collection (15 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: It is possible it could require action at EU level but I cannot give the Deputy a definitive answer to that yet. The reason for that is that what I have seen is the publication of a general agreement on how the US would engage in the OECD framework that raises many questions. At this point in time, I cannot give the Deputy a definitive answer regarding how that agreement will be executed...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mortgage Interest Rates (15 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The European Central Bank increased interest rates over the course of 2022 and 2023 as a move to combat excessive inflation. Since the middle of 2024, the ECB has reduced its main official lending rate to 2.15%. While changes by the ECB generally have a direct impact on tracker mortgage rates, reductions by the ECB are only one factor that feed into the commercial decisions made by...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mortgage Interest Rates (15 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: First, the Deputy referred to me being "a cheerleader". What I said at the time was that the sale of those loan books from those various banks was an important step in the banks regaining financial health, which, in turn, would help them to lend more in the future and contribute to our economy growing. I understood at that point the sensitivity with regard to it. That is why the consumer...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mortgage Interest Rates (15 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: Is that to encourage us to speak quicker?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mortgage Interest Rates (15 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The Cathaoirleach Gníomhach is giving me a forewarning. In the next opportunity, I will do my best to go back to the particular question put to me by Deputy Doherty.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mortgage Interest Rates (15 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: Again, the Deputy uses the language of obstructionism. I exercised my right in the Dáil. The Deputy has the same right. That is not obstructionism; that is me having to weigh up what I believe the right decision for our economy is overall and the fact that we need banks to be in a position to lend more in the future and invest more within our economy. That is not because I am making...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mortgage Interest Rates (15 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: What I am doing is looking at what is right for our economy overall and for all of the households, all-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mortgage Interest Rates (15 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: ----- of the families-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mortgage Interest Rates (15 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: ----- and all of the businesses within it,

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mortgage Interest Rates (15 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I had to consider that in the round.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mortgage Interest Rates (15 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy asked me about those affected. I can give him the information that is available to me this evening, which is that the interest rate for 92% of mortgages held by lending non-banks is 5% or lower. The interest rate for 68% of mortgages held by non-lending non-banks is 5% or lower. While only 68% of mortgages are at 5% or lower, this is an improvement from where we were at the end...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Military Aircraft (15 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that it is responsible for implementing customs controls on traffic entering the European Union through Irish ports and airports. This includes customs clearance of goods, the collection of customs duty and associated VAT and the detection, interception and seizure of prohibited and restricted products at points of entry into the State. The Union customs code is the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Military Aircraft (15 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: They are completely different questions. The Deputy asked me whether our customs code is being implemented at Shannon Airport. The unambiguous answer to that question is "Yes". The implementation of that code does not require us to play a checking role on those aircraft.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Military Aircraft (15 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: It does not matter how many times the Deputy repeats the question; the answer is still the same. We are fully in compliance with our customs code. I have outlined the circumstances in which-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Military Aircraft (15 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: We are talking about the Revenue Commissioners here, an authority that has implemented the customs code in this country for many decades, and about an airport that has been very active and very busy throughout its existence. I have explained to the Deputy really clearly the circumstances in which customs inspection is due. The subsections to which he refers do not take the place of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Military Aircraft (15 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: It is, of course, a subject for very legitimate debate regarding other policy domains, but not for customs.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tax Collection (15 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy. The answer I have to hand goes through the structure of the local property tax, which Deputy Timmins already knows. I will not take him through that. The issue to which he referred is about the interplay between the amount of revenue a local authority raises in its own jurisdiction and the equalisation fund. I have tried in the various revaluations in which I have been...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tax Collection (15 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I understand the Deputy's point. In between the two complex formulae and the spreadsheet I see, which has them on it - I am sure the Deputy is familiar with it - there are a number of local authorities like his own that believe they do not get to keep all of which they raise. The issue, which the Deputy acknowledges in his question, is that if we were to move to a system where all of what a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tax Collection (15 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: On the second matter, I am happy to raise it with the Minister for local government, Deputy Browne, and his colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, who is also involved in this issue with me. On the first matter, I examined that issue and inquired into it. I was definitively told I could not make that change. The reason is the budget cycle is annual and the budget cycle here is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Collection (15 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The Exchequer returns for the first half of the year were published at the beginning of the month and the Deputy has just touched on them. VAT receipts amounted to €11.6 billion, which is an increase of €600 million and is just under 6% higher than in the first half of last year. The growth in VAT is consistent with the increase in consumer spending. On an annual basis,...