Results 8,001-8,020 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Written Answers — Departmental Reviews: Departmental Reviews (26 Feb 2008)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 92 together. The Government approved some 90 formal Value for Money Reviews to be carried out for the period 2006-2008. This programme of reviews focuses on significant areas of expenditure and major policy issues. Value for Money and Policy Reviews are part of a package of changes that I have introduced to the Estimates and Budget processes in recent...

Written Answers — Capital Projects: Capital Projects (26 Feb 2008)

Brian Cowen: As I have previously indicated, the responsibility for undertaking project appraisals rests in the first instance with the individual Departments and Agencies. They are prepared to facilitate and inform the internal decision making process. It has not been the practice to publish these appraisals as they generally contain commercially sensitive information, the publication of which could be...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (26 Feb 2008)

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. When considering a change in the VAT treatment of a...

Written Answers — Capital Projects: Capital Projects (26 Feb 2008)

Brian Cowen: As of December 2007, there were 12 Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects with a capital value of over €20 million operational in three sectors: four in the roads sector, three in the education sector, and five in the environmental services sector. Fuller information on these is provided by the relevant sponsoring Department/Agency and is available at www.ppp.gov.ie In general, under the...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (26 Feb 2008)

Brian Cowen: Budget 2008 was published on 5 December last year. It contains forecasts for all the main macroeconomic variables in 2008, including the forecast rate of unemployment and the growth rate in employment. These forecasts of the main macroeconomic variables were taken into account by my Department when producing estimates of expenditure and tax revenue for 2008. The economic projections assume a...

Written Answers — Tax Yield: Tax Yield (26 Feb 2008)

Brian Cowen: The following table sets out the net yield from DIRT collected from 2005 to 2007: Year â'¬m 2005 167.1 2006 254.36* 2007 471.75* (provisional) * The increase in receipts for 2006 and 2007 may be attributed in the main to interest rate rises.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (26 Feb 2008)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 42, 53, 113 and 114 together. 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. A progress report by the Decentralisation Implementation Group (DIG) was submitted...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (26 Feb 2008)

Brian Cowen: I presume the Deputy is referring to the recommendations concerning VAT made by Forfás in their "Review of the European Single Market" of January 2008. In this regard, Forfás calls for new VAT rules for cross-border business to be introduced which would shift the place of taxation to where services are consumed, to replace the existing rules based on the location of the supplier. The...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (26 Feb 2008)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 44 and 74 together. I would note that although various technical work has been taking place, the Commission has not yet made any formal proposal in relation to the common consolidated corporate tax base (CCCTB) proposition, and I would hope that the Commission will reflect on the considerable scepticism and opposition to the proposition among Member States...

Written Answers — Programmes for Government: Programmes for Government (26 Feb 2008)

Brian Cowen: As I have indicated in previous responses, the Programme for Government is a five year programme in which a number of guiding principles in relation to economic and budgetary matters have been set out. In October 2007 I published the Pre-Budget Outlook which set out the cost of providing for the existing level of services over the medium term. As the Deputy is aware, the first instalment of...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (26 Feb 2008)

Brian Cowen: The position is that tax relief is available for medical insurance premiums paid to an authorised insurer under Section 470 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997. The relief is granted at source and is at the standard rate.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (26 Feb 2008)

Brian Cowen: Under the decentralisation programme the Public Appointments Service will transfer one hundred (100) posts to Youghal. Arrangements are proceeding in accordance with their Decentralisation Implementation Plan. To date, no staff have decentralised, however ten (10) staff are currently in posts in Dublin awaiting a transfer to Youghal. The Public Appointments Service are considering sending...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (26 Feb 2008)

Brian Cowen: Under the proposed scheme of accelerated capital allowances for expenditure on specified energy-efficient equipment, companies will have the benefit of writing-off the full cost of such equipment against their taxable income in the year the expenditure is incurred. Under existing arrangements, companies benefit from wear and tear allowances on the cost of such equipment at a rate of 12.5% per...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (26 Feb 2008)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that there have been recent contacts between officials in the Revenue Commissioners and in the US Treasury about updating the existing US-Ireland income tax treaty. At this stage, no dates have been agreed for a meeting between the officials. Given that no discussions have yet taken place, it is not possible to estimate any possible Exchequer...

Written Answers — Financial Services Regulation: Financial Services Regulation (26 Feb 2008)

Brian Cowen: At the outset, I would point out to the Deputy that the Government have taken steps last October in Section 19 of the Markets in Financial Instruments and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2007, which amended Part V of the Central Bank Act 1997, to provide for an appropriate system of authorisation and supervision of retail credit firms engaged in specialist or so-called sub-prime lending and home...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (26 Feb 2008)

Brian Cowen: The Estimates Volume provides information on voted expenditure by Departments and Offices in respect of administration and programme costs. This includes expenditure in respect of civil servants' pension costs, as provided for in Vote 7 (Superannuation and Retired Allowances) and the pension costs of other public servants; including Teachers, members and former members of an Garda Siochana...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (26 Feb 2008)

Brian Cowen: In Section 34 of the Finance Act 2007, I introduced a new scheme to allow the operation of DIRT exempt savings accounts subject to two conditions — (1) the account holder must be aged 65 years or over or be permanently incapacitated and (2) their total income must not exceed €19,000 for an individual or €38,000 for a married couple. Provisional figures show that in 2007, 47,218 such...

Written Answers — Commission on Taxation: Commission on Taxation (26 Feb 2008)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 54, 80 and 89 together. I announced the establishment of a Commission on Taxation on Thursday 14 February 2008. I also announced the terms of reference of the Commission. They state that the Commission is requested to report on the results of its examination and consideration and to make such recommendations as, and when, it thinks fit to the Minister for...

Written Answers — Fiscal Policy: Fiscal Policy (26 Feb 2008)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 62 together. The European Commission's assessment represents a reasonable view of the Irish economy. While it refers to the challenges of a "transition to a period of lower economic growth, mainly linked to a return to more sustainable activity in the housing sector", it also acknowledges the overall strong position of the public finances. Ireland is...

Written Answers — Social Partnership: Social Partnership (26 Feb 2008)

Brian Cowen: The Government's objective in entering talks on the Social Partnership Agreement is to achieve a sustainable agreement compatible with improving competitiveness and productivity. Towards 2016 is a ten-year framework social partnership agreement covering the period 2006 to 2016. The current national pay deal — the first pay agreement under Towards 2016 — expires at various dates in the...