Results 3,721-3,740 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I move recommendation No. 2: In page 10, to delete lines 42 and 43, and in page 11, to delete lines 1 to 4 and substitute the following:"(I) in the year in which the qualifying work was carried out by an amount which is the lesser of-(I) The specified amount of the payment or payments, and (II) The amount which reduces the income tax of that year of assessment to nil,".This recommendation...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Minister for his response and for his useful explanation. I accept the Minister's answer on the spreading of the tax credit over a couple of years. It is sensible. I will not push that recommendation. I have a further question for him on a matter not specific in the Bill. The local authorities operate disabled persons' grant schemes and accessibility schemes for upgrades to...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: May I have a copy of the Minister's note? I would like to get my head around the detail of the scheme. Is the figure three times the grant amount? If, as in the case to which I referred, someone had work done for €10,000 and received a €5,000 grant from the local authority, is it the case that he or she could not claim any sum under €15,000?

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Minister for the explanation.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I move recommendation No. 3: In page 11, line 30, to delete “€5,000” and substitute “€2,000”.The purpose of the recommendation which is not 1 million miles from the recommendation in the name of Senator Kathryn Reilly is clear. The Fianna Fáil recommendation proposes to reduce the threshold to €2,000, whereas Sinn Féin's...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: The Minister has made reference to principles on a number of occasions, but perhaps there are other principles we need to consider. The Minister is talking, in the main, about the tax code and that is his job as Minister for Finance. However, by including this provision in the Bill, he is creating a hierarchy in parenting. He is creating a so-called primary carer or primary parent, which...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I welcome the fact that the Minister has listened and given this very small concession. This is not a political thing because it is too important. What happens in January? The Revenue and the Department of Finance will select the primary parent based on-----

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I asked, but I probably was not clear-----

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: So that will have to be returned to Revenue. Anybody who receives a payment-----

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I move recommendation No. 7: In page 20, between lines 29 and 30, to insert the following:“(5) Where a primary carer has insufficient income to avail in full of the single person childcare credit the other parent may avail of the full or unused amount of the credit, on condition that the other parent has met any court ordered maintenance payments.”.The Minister made an amendment...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Minister for his response. This is a reasonable recommendation. I do not take the point about disclosure of private information. I intend to push the recommendation. In fairness, the Minister has gone some way to allowing the credit to be transferred should someone not be able to avail of it. We state there will be instances where the credit cannot be used in full and the...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I move recommendation No. 8: In page 20, between lines 29 and 30, to insert the following:"(5) Where a primary claimant marries and is no longer a single carer, and where the secondary claimant continues to share the parenting of his or her child, that secondary claimant shall be entitled to the single person child carer credit in full.".I am seeking in the recommendation that where a primary...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: It is unfortunate because the situations I have outlined will happen. It will remove the father further in most instances. By way of example, if the mother remarries, enters a civil partnership or cohabits, the child will be seen as being cared for by two adults. The inference is that the father has nothing to do with the upbringing of the child. He is still separated and all of the...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: My colleague, Senator Power, and I have tried to outline why we oppose the section. We have supported other sections of the Bill so it is not a case of us opposing this for the sake of it. I am disappointed that none of the recommendations, from all sides and parties, including the Independents, has been accepted. They were well thought out. I give a guarded welcome to the Minister's...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: To clarify, I have not argued for the status quo; none of us has. We all recognise that changes and reform are required in this area. I am not asking the Minister to continue the double credit but simply to allow the credit to be shared in some cases, as happens in Holland and which could be done here. The Minister is partially allowing it where somebody cannot claim the full credit. If...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I move recommendation No. 10: In page 22, line 23, after “proportionately.” to insert the following:“The amounts referred to above shall increase annually in line with medical inflation as measured by the consumer price index published by the CSO.”.Section 8 amends the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 to bring in new limits on the levels of insurance premiums where tax...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: That is the spin coming out of Government Buildings.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I think it was in there somewhere. The Minister of State, Deputy Hayes, stood up for the Minister for Finance so he is watching Deputy Noonan's back. He did what he was told yesterday. We trenchantly oppose section 8. The amendment softens the blow by suggesting the amounts referred to shall increase annually in line with medical inflation as measured by the consumer price index published...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: Just about.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: Some 47%.