Results 6,601-6,620 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (16 Oct 2007)

Brian Cowen: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to examine the scope for reducing the VAT rate on environmental goods and services from the standard VAT rate of 21 per cent to the reduced rate of 13.5 per cent. I should mention that this is just one of a number of initiatives in the Programme aimed at delivering a cleaner environment. In carrying out this examination account will be...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (16 Oct 2007)

Brian Cowen: I assume that the Deputy is referring to the relocation of posts to Kildare Town by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners. The Revenue decentralisation project to relocate 380 posts to Kildare Town will go ahead in full. The Chairman of the Revenue Commissioners wrote to me outlining some business continuity issues regarding the relocation of that Office's full ICT function to Kildare...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (16 Oct 2007)

Brian Cowen: The Budget is less than eight weeks away. It has been the practice of successive Ministers for Finance not to comment on tax changes in the run up to the annual Budget and I do not propose to depart from that approach.

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (16 Oct 2007)

Brian Cowen: On Budget Day 2007 my Department forecast economic growth of 5.3% for 2007, in both GDP and GNP terms. Updated economic growth forecasts, reflecting developments in the year to date, will be published in the Pre-Budget Outlook which I will lay before the House later this week.

Written Answers — Price Inflation: Price Inflation (16 Oct 2007)

Brian Cowen: The Department of Finance's most recent inflation forecast remains that which was published with Budget 2007 on the 6th December 2006. At that time, my Department forecast that CPI inflation would average 4.1 per cent for this year. This forecast was based, as it always is, on the assumption of no further interest rate increases over the forecast period. However, the ECB has increased...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (16 Oct 2007)

Brian Cowen: The Finance (No. 2) Act 2007 introduced an exemption from stamp duty for first-time buyers in accordance with the commitments made in the Programme for Government to bring about immediate change to the stamp duty regime for first-time buyers. It is considered that the changes brought about a positive impact upon the ability of first-time buyers to purchase a house. In relation to other...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (16 Oct 2007)

Brian Cowen: The Programme for Government states that the Government will continue to move ahead with decentralisation and ensure that no public servant is obliged to accept decentralisation against their wishes and that promotion opportunities remain available. It is now a matter, in the first instance, for each state body, together with its parent Department, to manage their approach to implementation...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (16 Oct 2007)

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the 2005 income tax year was the first year for which it was possible to capture the number of returns of income and gains made by persons based outside the State who are not resident here for tax purposes. The number of persons concerned in 2005 is 3,030. Returns for 2006 are due to be filed by 31st October 2007 or, in the case of returns made...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (16 Oct 2007)

Brian Cowen: As the Deputy will be aware, an extensive review of the Business Expansion Scheme (BES) and the associated Seed Capital Scheme (SCS) was carried out by my Department, in conjunction with the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment last year. This review took account of various studies, including the Report of the Small Business Forum. Following this...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (16 Oct 2007)

Brian Cowen: I should explain that the VAT rating of goods and services is subject to EU VAT law with which Irish law must comply. Under Article 132 of the EU VAT Directive member states are allowed to exempt certain cultural activities. This exemption is applied differently across the various Member States of the EU. In Ireland, we apply the exemption to the promotion of and admissions to certain live...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (16 Oct 2007)

Brian Cowen: The Revenue Commissioners' study, Effective tax rate of top 400 earners: Report for the tax year 2003, indicates that in 2003 the percentage of high earners on low rates of tax remained relatively static in comparison with 2002. There are a number of factors to bear in mind when reading the results of that report: Reliefs that reduced the effective tax rates include loss relief and standard...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (16 Oct 2007)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 137 and 144 together. Deputies will be aware that I published the Ethics in Public Office (Amendment) Bill 2007 earlier this year. The main purpose of that Bill is to amend the Ethics Acts so as to require office holders and non-office holding Oireachtas members, before accepting significant benefits from a friend for personal reasons, to seek the opinion...

Written Answers — Public Service Pay: Public Service Pay (16 Oct 2007)

Brian Cowen: There are four such reports due in 2007 and I will outline the position in relation to each, as follows: I recently received the final report of the seventh general review of the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector and I will be bringing proposals to the Government for consideration. The Public Service Benchmarking Body is due to report at the end of the year. The Parallel...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (16 Oct 2007)

Brian Cowen: Over ten thousand nine hundred civil and public servants have applied to relocate under the Programme. Of these, approximately 6,000 or 55% are currently based in Dublin. The Central Applications Facility (CAF) remains open and continues to receive applications. At the end of August 2007, over 3,000 staff had been assigned to decentralising posts.

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (16 Oct 2007)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the information requested by the Deputy in relation to the first time buyer exemption from Stamp Duty introduced in the Finance (No. 2) Act 2007 is as set out in the table, which reflects the position up to and including 30 September 2007. First Time Buyer Transactions exempted under the provisions of the Finance (No. 2) Act 2007...

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (16 Oct 2007)

Brian Cowen: I am aware of the contents of the Information Commissioner's Annual Report for 2006, which was published earlier this year. The Freedom of Information Act, which covered 67 public bodies when it commenced in April 1998, now applies to over 500 bodies across the public sector. My Department is involved in an ongoing programme of FOI extension and is actively engaged with Government...

Written Answers — Tax Yield: Tax Yield (16 Oct 2007)

Brian Cowen: As the Deputy may be aware, the monthly Exchequer Returns are available on my Department's website, as are my Department's tax receipts, expenditure and debt service profiles for 2007. The Exchequer Balance to end-September 2007 showed a deficit of €3.1 billion compared to a Budget day deficit of €546 million for the year as a whole. Exchequer tax receipts to end-September were, at...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (16 Oct 2007)

Brian Cowen: I have noted the revision of the 2008 growth forecast by the ESRI in their latest quarterly economic commentary. A reduction in new housing output is the main factor behind their revised growth forecast. However, there are a wide range of economic forecasts for 2008, and not all have as pessimistic an outlook as the ESRI. For example, the Central Bank's growth forecast for 2008 is higher,...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (16 Oct 2007)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the tax debt outstanding at 31 March 2007 and as reported in its annual report was €1,107 million. This represents 1.8% of gross receipts, a level which is exceptionally low by international standards. The amount under appeal was €315 million leaving the remainder, €792 million available for collection. The debt of €792m represents a...

Written Answers — Financial Services Regulation: Financial Services Regulation (16 Oct 2007)

Brian Cowen: Ireland prides itself in matching best international practice in all aspects of financial regulation at both domestic and international level. The IMF has recently confirmed that our regulatory regime complies with the best international standards. It is very important to distinguish clearly between the type of wholesale off-balance sheet Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) which are sponsored...