Results 801-820 of 1,683 for speaker:Derek McDowell

Seanad: Finance Bill 2004 [[i]Certified Money Bill[/i]]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Derek McDowell: I take it the Minister is speaking of sheltered housing and the like.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2004 [[i]Certified Money Bill[/i]]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Derek McDowell: Does this section deal with nursing homes at all?

Seanad: Finance Bill 2004 [[i]Certified Money Bill[/i]]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Derek McDowell: Is that to encourage further take-up?

Seanad: Finance Bill 2004 [[i]Certified Money Bill[/i]]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Derek McDowell: I want to explore the effectiveness and the level of take-up of some of the capital allowances schemes. I believe sections 26 and 27 refer equally to the schemes. Specifically, the Minister is extending the availability before terminating some of the schemes. I want to use the opportunity provided by this debate to explore the take-up of some of the schemes. Some of the schemes, such as the...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2004 [[i]Certified Money Bill[/i]]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Derek McDowell: Is that the proposed scheme in south County Dublin? I refer to a proposed development in Dún Laoghaire.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2004 [[i]Certified Money Bill[/i]]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Derek McDowell: It has not worked.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2004 [[i]Certified Money Bill[/i]]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Derek McDowell: We could usefully examine this section, which provides for tax relief for research and development.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2004 [[i]Certified Money Bill[/i]]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Derek McDowell: I understand that.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2004 [[i]Certified Money Bill[/i]]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Derek McDowell: It is a pity that the change was made, because we should seek to encourage a significant measure of additional research and development. It may not be worthwhile to get involved in the administrative hassle of dealing with relatively small amounts of research and development, which give quite little additional benefit. I welcome the scheme, generally speaking, and I wish it well. I share the...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2004 [[i]Certified Money Bill[/i]]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Derek McDowell: Perhaps I share the misunderstanding. I understand that buildings——

Seanad: Finance Bill 2004 [[i]Certified Money Bill[/i]]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Derek McDowell: My understanding of the section is that buildings that are constructed for the particular purpose of research and development are liable for the relief. The Minister is aware that it is a generous relief. I understand that it is basically a double relief, in a sense. There is nothing wrong, in principle, with giving tax relief on such buildings, but it would be worrying if a significant...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2004 [[i]Certified Money Bill[/i]]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Derek McDowell: I appreciate that it is not the intention. Is it open to being used in such a way?

Seanad: Finance Bill 2004 [[i]Certified Money Bill[/i]]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Derek McDowell: Perhaps a summary would be useful.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2004 [[i]Certified Money Bill[/i]]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Derek McDowell: Does that mean that it is clawed back?

Seanad: Finance Bill 2004 [[i]Certified Money Bill[/i]]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Derek McDowell: Is the money stopped, or is it clawed back? Will the tax that was not paid be recovered?

Seanad: Aer Lingus Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2004)

Derek McDowell: There is obviously consensus in the House on this matter. It is agreed that the workers concerned contributed towards the restructuring of the company. Had the Minister had his way at an earlier stage, the company would long since have been disposed of and they would have been party to the employee share ownership plan, ESOP, arrangement. My understanding is that the Bill does not exclude the...

Seanad: Aer Lingus Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2004)

Derek McDowell: If I understood him correctly, he said he did not have a controlling interest. When last I checked, Senator Dooley was a member of Fianna Fáil.

Seanad: Aer Lingus Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2004)

Derek McDowell: To the best of my knowledge, the Minster for Transport, Deputy Brennan, and the Minister for Finance, Deputy McCreevy, are also members of that party. Is Deputy McCreevy in a different Fianna Fáil to Senator Dooley? I understood it was all one big, united outfit.

Seanad: Aer Lingus Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2004)

Derek McDowell: Perhaps the Senator should tell that to the approximately 100 workers who will be obliged, one way or another, to take redundancy, and to the customers of the company in the County Clare region who will find it more difficult to use the services when the programme of change goes through. It is quite remarkable how Fianna Fáil can dissect itself in this way and wear different hats in...

Seanad: Aer Lingus Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2004)

Derek McDowell: Maybe so. However, there is consensus on the substantive issue of this section and it is useful that the matter has been clarified.