Results 9,441-9,460 of 27,019 for speaker:Michael Noonan

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Michael Noonan: I cannot give tax relief for expenses that have not occurred yet. The proposal that was made to me, by way of amendment, is to give the tax relief for the additionality which is the €250. So if tax relief is at the standard then that means €50. I do not see what all the fuss is about and why such a big case has been made for it. Again, the measure does not apply to people on...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Michael Noonan: Yes.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Michael Noonan: Yes. Otherwise what would be given to the third level sector I would claw back if gave the relief. When the sum is at the level of €50 I do not think that it will influence behavioural patterns. That is not to say the totality of going to college does not cost a lot of money but I am focusing on the proposal.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Michael Noonan: I will have to get a note for Deputy McGrath on that point. It is €5,000 less the disregard. The disregard is universal.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Michael Noonan: We will move to Deputy Donnelly's position, in which case the sum of €50 this year is not the issue, it is the payment of €50 this year, €50 next year and €50 the year after. Deputy Donnelly's position is that, over the coming three years, there will be an extra cost of €150 to a family and that it will prevent people from going to college. I do not accept...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Michael Noonan: It is €50 per year and we are simply following the increases that have been made on the student contribution by the Minister for Education and Skills and saying the disregard will be level with the student contribution. I think that is reasonable.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Michael Noonan: The sum of €150 for families ineligible for grants, spread over three years, does not affect the behaviour of families in terms of whether they send one of their children to college or not. This is particularly true when the full tax claim on the student contribution is available to families sending the second or third child to college.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Michael Noonan: The relief applied to subsequent siblings is at the standard rate.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Michael Noonan: With one, it is the standard rate of tax.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Michael Noonan: Yes.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Michael Noonan: It is a very interesting debate, but it is amazing that such a lengthy debate can be built on €50, and all of these issues are arising from an increase of €50 in the one year. I know that Deputy Donnelly has a distinguished background in consulting but I was reasonably good at mental arithmetic when I was in primary school. It is €50 the first year, another €50...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Michael Noonan: I do not know how the Deputy is arriving at that figure.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Michael Noonan: Deputy Boyd Barrett said I should stay within the terms of the section.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Michael Noonan: The Department of Education and Skills is not raising its disregard for a fourth year. They are taking the fees up to €3,000. For example, one can take the case of a person who is studying medicine and one can add on numbers for the extra years. It is a rather small imposition. I will address the tax breaks on private education. The disregard is the same across the sector. The...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Michael Noonan: The Deputy sees the bad side of everything.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Michael Noonan: The Deputy loves misery.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Michael Noonan: What is being proposed by the Deputy's side of the House is to introduce tax relief at the standard rate on the additional disregard which is applied by the Department of Education and Skills. What we are talking about is the tax relief.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Michael Noonan: The Deputy was not charged.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Michael Noonan: The taxpayer gave the Deputy free primary education.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Michael Noonan: I am saying I do not think the relief the Deputy is proposing - in the current year, it would amount to €50 or less than €5 a month - will influence whether people go to university. We can keep adding on the numbers. As I have said, one can add them on for seven or eight years in the case of someone studying medicine. The proposition before us is to engineer the relief the...