Results 8,561-8,580 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen
- Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 2008)
Brian Cowen: I must check on where the Deputy is coming from with that figure. I will try to get that information for him. This is where it is coming from at present. I will answer the question in a manner that may be helpful to Deputy Bruton. Last year, the figure of â¬45 billion that was mentioned in a parliamentary question only covered serving staff, while the figure of â¬75 billion covers both...
- Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 2008)
Brian Cowen: On the Deputy's policy question, Ireland has a demographic window. Although it is not a reason to do nothing, Ireland is not at the stage reached by a number of our fellow EU member states, in which the time bomb is not only ticking but can be heard. The issue in Ireland relates to ending the consultation on the Green Paper in May and bringing forward a White Paper as soon as possible...
- Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 2008)
Brian Cowen: My recollection of the Act that established the National Pension Reserve Fund is that the Government is statutorily obliged to transfer at least 1% of GNP to the fund per year until 2025. Therefore, in the event of there being room to so do in good times, the prospect of continuing with a contribution that is greater than 1% is a matter that is open to any Minister for Finance to decide on...
- Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 2008)
Brian Cowen: That is correct.
- Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 2008)
Brian Cowen: That is correct. There was a suggestion that the Government should raid the fund from time to time.
- Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 2008)
Brian Cowen: That is a matter forââ
- Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 2008)
Brian Cowen: We certainly would not have a pension reserve of â¬19 billion for future liabilities, which is the purpose of this discussion.
- Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 2008)
Brian Cowen: The purpose of this discussion is to debate how to meet future pension liabilities. While the Government was putting that 1% of GNP aside, it was still running surpluses and ensuring it could operate a capital programme from cash. Now however, when I try to borrow modestly to invest ambitiously, I am criticised for the deficit that might arise as a result. It is hard to win when one goes...
- Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 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 the Garda...
- Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 2008)
Brian Cowen: While I too want to avoid the political arena, I do not think it fair to claim these increases were blindly approved. Account is taken of the public-private pension differential in the benchmarking process.
- Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 2008)
Brian Cowen: Actuarial advice was taken to that effect and it was set out in much greater detail and transparency than was the case for the initial report. We can agree or disagree with the recommendations but we should fairly characterise the professionals involved and the work they did. I accept the point about the costs which are incurred when permanent and pensionable posts are created. How to move...
- Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 2008)
Brian Cowen: I do not want to dismiss the Deputy's suggestion but actuarial advice is available on an independent basis to the Pensions Board, which has a statutory remit on advising the Government on pensions policy generally and is one of the vehicles through which we are proceeding with the pension policy review. It is a matter of examining that and deciding whether a case can be made. There is also...
- Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 2008)
Brian Cowen: Clearly, the demographics will change in coming decades. Some years ago we made assumptions based on certain population changes which did not prove correct. The assumptions may be robust in the short term but the further ahead one predicts, the lower the certainty of accuracy. The demographics ratio between those of working age and pensioners will obviously deteriorate, from 4:1 at present...
- Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 2008)
Brian Cowen: Of course we do. Sometimes it is assumed that everything can be transformed with a wave of a magic wand.
- Pension Provisions. (24 Apr 2008)
Brian Cowen: It is being looked at.
- Tax Collection. (24 Apr 2008)
Brian Cowen: The provisions of section 848A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 govern the operation of the scheme for tax relief on donations to eligible charities and other approved bodies. The administration of those provisions is the responsibility of the Revenue Commissioners. To avail of the donations scheme a charity must be specifically authorised by the Revenue Commissioners for the purposes of...
- Tax Collection. (24 Apr 2008)
Brian Cowen: As I said in my primary reply, the review is part of the ongoing monitoring of the authorisations, many of which are coming up for renewal at the same time. It was suggested in the media that this was a result of a fundamental concern by Revenue that matters were not as they should be. The tenor and content of my reply is to the effect that Revenue is not indicating that this is the case....
- Tax Collection. (24 Apr 2008)
Brian Cowen: I will try to get whatever further information I can for the Deputy in terms of what numbers are being examined at present. It is not correct to suggest there is a preference with respect to types of schools. Since 2001 all primary and post-primary schools providing education based on a programme prescribed and approved by the Minister for Education and Science automatically qualify as...
- Tax Collection. (24 Apr 2008)
Brian Cowen: I thank Deputy Bruton and Deputy Burton for their kind remarks. I know they are meant in the best possible way. As has been said, in the rough and tumble of politics we crossed swords now and again but never in a way that affected personal relationships, even if we did not foster them as much as we should have. As regards the exalted office, I will have to talk to Deputy Bruton about a...
- Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (24 Apr 2008)
Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 54 together. As I have informed the House on previous occasions, the Standards in Public Office Act 2001 already allows the Standards in Public Office Commission to carry out investigations on its own initiative, where it considers it appropriate to do so, on breaches of the provisions of the Ethics legislation, by persons in the Commission's area of...