Results 5,701-5,720 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Mar 2007)

Brian Cowen: The table sets the cost of all home and foreign travel and subsistence paid from my Department's Vote in each of the years 2004 to 2006 and 2007 to date. Payments were made from subheads A2 (Travel and Subsistence), F (Gaeleagras) and J1 (Structural Funds Technical Assistance). 2004 2005 2006 2007 €,000 €,000 €,000 €,000 894 876 1,041 140 The establishment of an office of my...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (20 Mar 2007)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 130 and 171 together. The main consumption related taxes are VAT and excise duty. Taken together these two tax-heads are forecast to account for almost €21 billion or 43 per cent of total tax revenues in 2007 compared to the 44 per cent and 46 per cent of actual taxes they accounted for in 1997 and 1987 respectively. Construction impacts on a number of...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (20 Mar 2007)

Brian Cowen: Exports of goods and services are estimated to have increased, in real terms, by an annual average of 4.1% in the last 4 years. Export growth in recent years has been concentrated in the services sector rather than in traditional manufacturing sectors. Between Q4 2002 and Q4 2006 the numbers employed in manufacturing declined by 13,700, or 4.5%. However, this decline in employment in the...

Written Answers — Capital Expenditure: Capital Expenditure (20 Mar 2007)

Brian Cowen: The examination of projects is a matter for each spending Department. I established the Central Expenditure Evaluation Unit in my Department in June 2006 with the appointment of a Head of Unit and assignment of appropriately qualified staff. The Unit's initial phase of operations included the development of a work programme and running a recruitment process for appropriately skilled...

Written Answers — Tax Yield: Tax Yield (20 Mar 2007)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that estimates of the amounts of internal VAT paid by taxpayers in the building and construction industry in the years 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, after allowing for repayments and not including VAT on imports, are as follows. VAT yields from building and construction industry Year Net VAT paid €m 2003 669 2004 780 2005 921 2006 1,091 The...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (20 Mar 2007)

Brian Cowen: The banking industry has proposed the development of a universal bank account enabling all citizens to make and receive payments electronically — whether in the form of salary, benefit or welfare. The Deputy may wish to note that there are a number of important issues to be considered in progressing such a proposal such as the fees to be associated, who would have right of access to such an...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (20 Mar 2007)

Brian Cowen: I have been advised by the Revenue Commissioners that for taxation purposes single farm payments can be accounted for on either a receipts basis or an annual basis. In cases where farmers make tax returns on a receipts basis the single farm payment is recognised as a receipt pertaining to the date the cheque issues from the Department of Agriculture and Food and is therefore liable to income...

Written Answers — Fiscal Policy: Fiscal Policy (20 Mar 2007)

Brian Cowen: Interest rate policy is entirely a matter for the Governing Council of the ECB, which is independent in deciding these matters.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (20 Mar 2007)

Brian Cowen: The official opening of my Department's new offices in Tullamore took place on the 6th of October, 2006. Currently, my Department has decentralised one hundred and eighteen (118) staff to Tullamore and a further six (6) staff have accepted offers of decentralisation. The new offices in the Central Business Park in Tullamore is a modern, state of the art building comprising three floors, with...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (20 Mar 2007)

Brian Cowen: I have been advised by the Revenue Commissioners that 402 cases were selected for random audit as part of their 2006 programme. To date, 167 audits have been concluded. 43 cases yielded €233,721. There were no recoveries from 124 cases (74%). 235 cases are still ongoing. I am advised that 410 cases were selected for random audit under Revenue's 2005 programme. 60 cases did not proceed...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (20 Mar 2007)

Brian Cowen: The EU Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union has stated on a number of occasions recently that the European Commission has no plans for the harmonisation of corporate tax rates in the European Union. However, a technical working group, chaired by the EU Commission, is working towards the development of a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB). Ireland, along with a number of...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (20 Mar 2007)

Brian Cowen: The Government have already made clear that renewable energy will be a critical and growing component of Irish energy supply to 2020 and beyond. Renewable energy is an integral part of our climate change strategy and sustainability objectives. The additional diversity which renewables bring to Ireland's energy demand will also make a direct contribution to our goal of ensuring secure and...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (20 Mar 2007)

Brian Cowen: One Hundred and eighteen (118) staff of my Department have decentralised to Tullamore and a further six (6) have accepted offers of decentralisation. Of those in Tullamore, ninety-four (94) moved to my Department to decentralise to Tullamore. The data available in my Department on the previous careers of these staff do not indicate in all cases the previous locations of staff or whether or...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (20 Mar 2007)

Brian Cowen: The information requested by the Deputy in a format which presents the data in terms of the effective tax rates actually paid by taxpayers is set out in the table. This is the same format as used for the presentation of pre-Budget 2007 and post-Budget 2007 distributions of earners in the 2007 Budget booklet. Tax Year Exempt(1) Paying at 20% or less(2) Paying at greater than 20% Total 2006*...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (20 Mar 2007)

Brian Cowen: The tables set out the number of second hand cars imported and the VRT revenue generated on such cars over the past five years. The VRT rates applicable to such cars are also provided. Year Total Registrations, including instances of transfer of residence VRT Revenue Yield € 2002 13,838 20,789,879 2003 14,628 28,184,180 2004 23,573 53,367,076 2005 41,801 100,591,425 2006 (Prov)...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (20 Mar 2007)

Brian Cowen: The proposal is to develop a pilot savings scheme for low-income households, similar to the SSIA scheme which is now in its final months. While the proposal has a number of socially progressive features, I am not convinced that a further SSIA type scheme is the appropriate way forward. Raising the income levels of those affected by more jobs, higher wages or better social welfare support...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (20 Mar 2007)

Brian Cowen: A progress report by the Decentralisation Implementation Group (DIG) was submitted to me and published on 4th October last. The Group reported that implementation of the Decentralisation Programme is progressing satisfactorily. To date, over 2,400 staff had been assigned to decentralising posts. Approximately 800 of these are currently in place, in 17 new locations, while the remainder are...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (20 Mar 2007)

Brian Cowen: The State encourages individuals to supplement the social welfare pension arrangements with private pension arrangements by offering tax relief on private pension provision. The tax relief arrangements for private pension provision are long-standing and have helped a significant proportion of the workforce to provide for supplementary pensions for their retirement. Tax relief is provided at...

Written Answers — Tax Yield: Tax Yield (20 Mar 2007)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the relevant information available in respect of the PAYE yields in each of the calendar years 2003, 2004 and 2005 of PAYE from the 100 largest payers of Corporation Tax in the calendar year 2005 is as follows: Year Amount Paid million € million 2003 649.5 2004 703.9 2005 755.7 The corresponding information is not readily available for...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (20 Mar 2007)

Brian Cowen: In Budget 2006 I announced the introduction of a limit, with effect from 1 January 2007, on the use of tax reliefs, including certain exemptions, by some high-income individuals. Section 17 of Finance Act 2006 gave effect to this announcement. This measure was designed to address the issue of a small number of individuals with high incomes who, up to now, mainly by means of the cumulative...