Results 8,741-8,760 of 9,274 for speaker:Jack Chambers

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs (7 Nov 2024)

Jack Chambers: Applications for Help to Buy (HTB) may be made on a provisional basis as first time buyers will want to have certainty as to their entitlements in advance of commencing the purchase of a property. An application will only progress to the claim stage if and when the applicant decides to purchase a property that is eligible for the scheme. I am advised by Revenue that county information is only...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Economic Sanctions (7 Nov 2024)

Jack Chambers: The Government’s only formal decision in relation to it to date was to propose a 9-month timed amendment at Dáil Second Stage in May 2023. This was in order to allow for consideration of the issues raised by that Bill including alternative non-legislative based approaches or a combination of legislative and non-legislative based approaches which could achieve a similar outcome. ...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (7 Nov 2024)

Jack Chambers: As the Deputy will be aware, in making any decision in relation to VAT rates or other taxation measures, the Government must balance the costs of the measures in question against their impact and the overall budgetary framework. The estimated cost of the 9 percent VAT rate for tourism and hospitality, from 1 November 2020 to 31 August 2023, was over €1.3 billion. The cost of a...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs (7 Nov 2024)

Jack Chambers: The Help to Buy (HTB) incentive, is a scheme to assist first-time purchasers with the deposit they need to buy or build a new house or apartment. It also has as a key aim the encouragement of additional supply of new houses by supporting demand. The incentive gives a refund of Income Tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) paid in Ireland over the previous four years, subject to limits...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Schemes (7 Nov 2024)

Jack Chambers: The Deputy should note that my Department and I share concerns that the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers Scheme or DDS is no longer fit-for-purpose and believe it should be replaced with a needs-based, grant-led approach for necessary vehicle adaptations that could serve to improve the functional mobility of the individual. However, this is very much a matter for Government as...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: An Garda Síochána (22 Jan 2025)

Jack Chambers: As the Deputy will appreciate, the introduction of any new tax expenditure measure takes place in the context of the annual Budget and Finance Bill process. Proposals for tax expenditure measures are assessed in accordance with my Department's Tax Expenditure Guidelines. These make clear that any policy proposal which involves tax expenditures should only occur in limited circumstances...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Staff (22 Jan 2025)

Jack Chambers: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 318 and 320 together. I wish to inform the Deputy that my Department grants career breaks to staff in line with the parameters of Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circular 4 of 2013. The Career Break Scheme in the Civil Service affords flexibility to staff and employers by allowing staff to apply to take a period of special leave without pay for a...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Staff (22 Jan 2025)

Jack Chambers: The HR Unit in my Department keeps track of current vacancies and saves a snapshot of this information every quarter. Tables A and B below show the number of vacancies in the Department, by grade, in 2023 and 2024 respectively. The bodies under the aegis of my Department have provided the information requested in the attached document. ">Response Table A Quarter ...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (22 Jan 2025)

Jack Chambers: Under the Finance Act 1992, Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) is assessed on a vehicle at the time of its registration, and the way in which the tax is calculated depends on the category of vehicle involved. VRT on Category A vehicles (generally passenger vehicles) is assessed based on the value of the vehicle and its emissions levels for carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx). The...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (22 Jan 2025)

Jack Chambers: Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) is charged, levied, and paid under the provisions of the Finance Act, 1992. VRT is assessed on a vehicle at the time of registration in the State and the way it is calculated depends on the category of the vehicle involved. There are five vehicle VRT categories: A, B, C, D and M. VRT on category A (generally passenger vehicles) is assessed on the basis of...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (22 Jan 2025)

Jack Chambers: As the Deputy is aware, nieces or nephews of the disponer may qualify for favourite niece or favourite nephew relief in respect of gifts or inheritances of business assets. Qualifying nieces or nephews are those who have worked substantially on a full-time basis for a period of five years prior to the gift or inheritance being given in carrying on, or assisting in the carrying on, the trade,...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (22 Jan 2025)

Jack Chambers: I am advised by Revenue that the Ready Reckoner, available on its website, provides estimates of the likely tax cost or yield arising from a range of potential changes to taxes and duties. Estimates in relation to potential changes to excise duty on cigarettes are published on page 25 of the Ready Reckoner which is available at www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/information-about-revenue/statis...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Revenue Commissioners (22 Jan 2025)

Jack Chambers: I am advised by Revenue that while membership of a professional accountancy body is among the eligibility requirements in its recruitment to senior management tax specialist posts, there has been no requirement for targeted recruitment of forensic accountants to Revenue. Of the circa 310 Revenue staff who are qualified accountants, six have undertaken the Diploma in Forensic Accounting...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Revenue Commissioners (22 Jan 2025)

Jack Chambers: I am advised by Revenue that it operates mobile container x-ray scanners and x-ray backscatter vans to examine containerised freight and vehicles. The funding for the latest x-ray van will be largely drawn from the next planned round of Customs Control Equipment Instrument (CCEI) funding stream. These scanners are sufficient for Revenue’s current operational requirements which it...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (22 Jan 2025)

Jack Chambers: I am advised by Revenue that the estimated full-year cost of increasing the Capital Acquisitions Tax (CAT) group thresholds in the manner outlined is in the order of €80m. A breakdown of this figure by Group is shown in the table below: CAT Threshold Changes Annual Cost Group A threshold increase to €475,000 €53m ...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (22 Jan 2025)

Jack Chambers: The estimated cost of the 9 percent VAT rate for tourism and hospitality, from 1 November 2020 to 31 August 2023, was over €1.3 billion. While I recognise the difficult circumstances businesses in this sector find themselves in, the Government has taken additional measures to support businesses directly. For instance, Budget 2024 and Budget 2025 contained a number of measures to...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: State Assets (22 Jan 2025)

Jack Chambers: The National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) has informed me that the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) publishes details of individual investments in the NTMA Annual Report each year. The most recent annual report is for the year ended December 2023 which reported that ISIF held €300,000 in Palantir Technologies. ISIF’s holdings at the end of December 2024 will be...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Banking Sector (22 Jan 2025)

Jack Chambers: Creditors have the general right to assign or sell their benefits and rights under an existing credit agreement to another creditor, without changing the debtor's obligations and rights as also set out in the particular agreement or as subsequently agreed. Therefore, when a creditor's benefits under a credit agreement are sold to another entity, the terms of that particular agreement...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Financial Services (22 Jan 2025)

Jack Chambers: Payment service providers authorised in Ireland or who provide services in Ireland on a cross-border basis are subject to the requirements of Directive 2015/2366/EU on payment services (PSD2). PSD2 was transposed into Irish law with effect from 13 January 2018 by the European Union (Payment Services) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 6 of 2018) hereafter referred to as the Payment Service...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (22 Jan 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Deputy should note at the outset that I am not in a position to consider the rule change he has suggested. Context for this is provided below. Liquidation is the winding up of a company, including the sale of assets to pay creditors and shareholders based on the legal priority of their claims. Once appointed, a liquidator is legally obliged to distribute the dividends secured from...