Results 7,581-7,600 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: The Government is not in a position to quantify the carbon impact of all tax and expenditure. I would point out to the Deputy that the Government's expenditure this year alone will be in excess of €50 billion. Determining the carbon impact of spending/tax policies, to the extent it can be done at all, would be a significant and time-consuming task, and in any event many do not have a...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: On the question of under-claiming by tenants of rent relief, I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that they have taken a number of initiatives to encourage taxpayers to claim their full entitlements. These include measures to increase awareness generally of the range of credits available. Extensive advertising took place in 2006 and 2007 covering the most common tax credits, which...

Written Answers — Tax Evasion: Tax Evasion (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: As the Deputy is aware, the special investigations to which he refers relate to major projects undertaken by the Revenue Commissioners in connection with particular methodologies used by taxpayers to evade tax in the past. These investigation projects have proved to be very successful and some are nearing finality. The recoveries made to date comprise tax, interest and civil penalties. The...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 104, 112 and 127 together. I want to assure the House that the Government's position on our corporate tax regime is unambiguous. It is clearly stated in the Programme for Government that the 12 1/2% rate of corporation tax will remain. That commitment is protected, in an EU context, by the principle of unanimity in taxation matters. The draft Reform Treaty...

Written Answers — Public Service Pay: Public Service Pay (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 and 196 together. Details of the consultancy costs incurred in respect of Review Body Report No. 42 are as follows: Cost (including VAT) Description € 447,415.05 Hay Group Ireland Ltd — Job evaluation of senior public service posts and advice on remuneration of senior posts in the private sector. 46,464.00 Mercer (Ireland) Ltd — An examination...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: In my role as the Minister for Finance I have responsibility for the development of the legal framework governing financial regulation. The day-to-day responsibility for the supervision of financial institutions is a matter for the Financial Regulator. The Pensions Board is responsible for the regulation of occupational pension schemes and Personal Retirement Savings Accounts in Ireland as...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: The 2003 EU Energy Tax Directive incorporated special derogations which allowed specific excise duty reliefs to be applied in a number of Member States. In the Irish context, these derogations allowed for reduced rates to apply to fuel used for public transport services which includes school transport services. While these derogations expired on 31 December 2006, Ireland, along with other...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: The position is that the VAT rating of all goods and services are subject to the requirements of EU VAT law with which Irish VAT law must comply. The standard VAT rate of 21% applies to condoms. Under EU VAT law, it is not possible to introduce new zero rates of VAT, as we can only retain the zero rating that was in existence on 1 January 1991. As condoms were not subject to the zero rate on...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: The Programme for Government sets out a commitment to reduce the standard rate of income tax to 18 per cent and the top rate of income tax to 40 per cent over the lifetime of the Government, provided economic resources allow. It is clear that we have now entered a period of lower economic growth than was generally envisaged in the early part of last year. This is reflected in the economic...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 111, 121, 146, 149 and 263 to 265, inclusive, together. A progress report by the Decentralisation Implementation Group (DIG) was submitted to me and published on 8th October last. The Group reported that implementation of the civil service element of the Decentralisation Programme is progressing satisfactorily. Over eleven thousand civil and public servants...

Written Answers — Price Inflation: Price Inflation (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: Inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, averaged 4.9 per cent in 2007. Of this 4.9 per cent, 2.2 per cent was contributed by increased mortgage interest repayments. Including the impact of mortgage rate increases in the CPI not only masks the underlying inflation rate but also highlights the short-term impact of interest rate increases which are designed to bring down inflation....

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: One hundred and twenty three (123) staff of my Department have decentralised to Tullamore and a further two (2) have accepted offers of decentralisation. Of those in Tullamore eighty two (82) staff transferred from Dublin posts, twenty five (25) staff were serving in various other locations in the country and sixteen (16) staff were recruited specifically for Tullamore. It is envisaged that...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: In response to a Parliamentary Question on 2 October 2007, I provided information setting out the position where public servants are considering the purchase of additional notional service. In such situations it is important to note that there is no specific need to contact a financial advisor as the purchase of additional notional service, in circumstances where the facility is available,...

Written Answers — Financial Services Ombudsman: Financial Services Ombudsman (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: The Financial Services Ombudsman (FSO), established in April 2005 to deal with consumer complaints about financial service providers, has made a very significant contribution to protecting and promoting the interests of consumers of financial services. Where a complaint is upheld the Financial Services Ombudsman can direct the financial service provider to pay compensation to the complainant...

Written Answers — Business Regulation: Business Regulation (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: This is a matter in the first instance for my colleague the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. I do not have a deciding function in relation to setting the sort of benchmark referred to. My colleague, however, has established a High-level Group on Business Regulation, chaired by the Secretary General of his Department and comprising a wide membership from business, ICTU,...

Written Answers — Financial Services: Financial Services (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: My Department has been informed by the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland (CBFSAI) that the level of deposits, owned by Irish residents, amounts to approximately €178 billion. This is an aggregate figure based on the Central Bank Monthly Statistics up to the end of November 2007. As regards the number of deposits, the CBFSAI surveys banks and financial institutions...

Written Answers — Financial Services: Financial Services (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: While the choice of mortgage product ultimately rests with the individual customer and the lending institution concerned, as Minister for Finance, I have consistently highlighted the need for responsible behaviour by both borrowers and lenders and in particular the need to factor into their financial decision making the effects of potential future changes in economic and financial conditions....

Written Answers — Social Finance Foundation: Social Finance Foundation (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: On 8 February 2007 I launched the Social Finance Foundation to implement the Social Finance Initiative announced in Budget 2006. The Foundation has been established on a not-for-profit basis to act as a wholesale supplier of social finance for on-lending by specialist social finance lenders to support social and developmental projects and social enterprise in local communities. The...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 123 and 190 together. At Budget time, GDP growth of the order of 3 per cent was signalled as likely for 2008, with GNP growth of 2.8 per cent. As was noted then, there are risks, both internal and external, to these forecasts. My Department will, as always, continue to monitor the situation closely. Short-term movements in financial markets have limited...

Written Answers — Financial Services Regulation: Financial Services Regulation (30 Jan 2008)

Brian Cowen: The Advisory Forum on Financial Legislation has been established to provide expert advice and practical assistance to my Department on: the preparation of a Bill to consolidate the existing legal framework for financial services regulation that is currently the responsibility of the Minister for Finance, and the complementary modernisation and simplification of that legislative framework that...