Results 3,381-3,400 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Tax Collection. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I have been advised by the Revenue Commissioners that 411 cases were selected for random compliance testing as part of the 2005 programme. A detailed evaluation of the results will be finalised once the approximately 60 remaining audits are completed. I am informed that Revenue's approach to random compliance testing changed significantly in the 2005 programme and this should be borne in mind...

Tax Collection. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: We have seen a great improvement in the compliance culture with regard to the tax administration system. The number of tax compliant citizens has greatly increased, with one of the reasons being the important changes brought about, particularly with regard to self-assessment for the self-employed. That has brought about a transformation which can be seen through the tax take obtained, in...

Tax Collection. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: We can be assured that the powers will be used in a reasonable way and that the worries that some small account holders have on this matter are not well-founded. They are only to help with risk-based assessments, and it is only where the Revenue Commissioners see something which is obviously wrong in the context of other information that an investigation will occur. Many of the Revenue powers...

Tax Code. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: As I informed the House on 28 February, the European Commission has not yet made a formal proposal on the common consolidated corporate tax base. At the informal ECOFIN in September 2004, it was agreed that the Commission should establish a technical working group to consider such matters. While we opposed such a move, we are participating in the group without prejudice to our national...

Tax Code. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I met Commissioner Kovács and his officials when he visited and spoke in the environs of the Dáil. I conveyed our opposition to the overall project and told him I was not at all convinced of the case put forward. The Commissioner is resigned to the fact he will not get agreement among all 25 member states, but he is prepared to go the route of enhanced co-operation. He proposes to publish a...

Tax Code. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: It has. We have decided to fund our foreign aid through direct grant-in-aid, rather than via an aviation tax, because it is far more transparent. There is an issue with certain nations' dependence on aviation and the effect on our costs, which would be different from that of others. It has been decided that countries can deal with the issue on a voluntary, optional basis themselves. I...

Money Laundering. (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: The financial action task force, FATF, recently published the report of its evaluation of Ireland's measures to combat money laundering and financing of terrorism. Ireland is one of seven countries evaluated to date in the FATF third round of mutual evaluations. Its overall ratings are comparable to those obtained by the other countries evaluated. The revised FATF money laundering...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: Section 126 of the Finance Bill seeks to ensure that attempting to avoid tax, using means that would not succeed if challenged by reference to the general anti-avoidance section, section 811 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, will no longer be a risk-free activity. Taxpayers considering the use of artificial arrangements to avoid tax will now have to take account of the risk of having to...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 67 together. Stamp Duty is a charge on documents, which are mostly legal documents, used in the transfer of property. Where a property is purchased, stamp duty is charged on the conveyance or transfer effecting change of legal ownership of the property concerned. If there is no conveyance, there is no stamp duty. A builder or developer can, therefore,...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 92 together. A number of legislative and regulatory measures to increase the protection of investors, including those who hold shares electronically, are currently being considered by an expert working group established under the aegis of my Department. The membership of the working group is composed of industry and consumer representatives as well as...

Written Answers — National Development Plan: National Development Plan (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13, 38, 48, 74 and 88 together. Last August the Government announced its decision to prepare a successor to the current National Development Plan 2000-2006. The next NDP will cover the period 2007 to 2013 and its preparation is being co-ordinated by my Department. A high level steering group chaired by my Department and comprising senior officials of relevant...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: Article 87(1) of the EC Treaty prohibits, in general terms, the granting of aid by the state which distorts competition by favouring certain undertakings or the production of certain goods, in so far as the aid is liable to affect trade between member states. There are a number of components to this provision, all of which must be met before a particular type of support can be classified as a...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 15, 33, 55, 59, 63 and 81 together. Both the Government and I have made it clear that participation in the decentralisation programme is voluntary. From the outset guarantees have been provided at Government level that all those employees not wishing to transfer out of Dublin will be facilitated with an alternative public service post in Dublin. This position...

Written Answers — Pay Rates: Pay Rates (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: The Government position on public service pay is very clear. The public service must be able to attract and retain a reasonable proportion of good quality staff at all levels. In this respect, it should neither lead the field, nor trail behind. The independent benchmarking process affords a means whereby painstaking comparisons between public service jobs and their counterparts in the private...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: When the decentralisation programme was announced the Government appointed a decentralisation implementation group to drive the process forward. The implementation group asked that all organisations participating in the programme should prepare detailed implementation plans, including risk mitigation plans. These plans were prepared and submitted to the group. In its July 2004 report, the...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: The latest figures from the central applications facility show there is very substantial interest in the programme. To date there have been over 10,600 applications made to the central applications facility. Of these over 50% are from Dublin based staff. The following is the current position in relation to promotions policy and decentralisation. In the Civil Service, progress has been made in...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: When the decentralisation programme was announced, the Government appointed a decentralisation implementation group to drive the process forward. The group formally submits its reports on progress with implementation of the programme to me which I then submit to the Government for its consideration. The Government has approved the recommendations contained in the group's reports published in...

Written Answers — Social Partnership: Social Partnership (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: Talks on a new national partnership agreement to follow Sustaining Progress commenced recently. Although it would be imprudent to make any detailed statement at this stage about these talks, I will say that I am concerned about the decline in cost competitiveness in recent years. This is having an impact on employment in the exposed sectors of the economy. We must maintain and improve the...

Written Answers — EU Funding: EU Funding (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 130 together. The Government is very aware of the valuable role that PEACE II and its predecessor, PEACE I, have played in building peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border region. Therefore, I am very glad to be able to report that due to efforts of the Irish and the British Governments, the agreement at the European Council of 16...

Written Answers — Revenue Investigations: Revenue Investigations (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that arising from the Clerical Medical Insurance-NIB inquiry, 465 cases have been targeted for investigation. To date, 306 cases have been settled on payment of tax, interest and penalties amounting to a total of €53.78 million. A further 122 cases have been finalised with no additional liability arising. The remaining 37 cases are the subject of...