Results 9,841-9,860 of 32,864 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Electric Vehicles (26 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: An interdepartmental Low-Emitting Vehicles (LEV) taskforce has been established to consider a full suite of potential measures to expedite the deployment of low carbon technologies, particularly electric vehicles, under a commitment outlined in the Programme for a Partnership Government. One of the potential policy instruments being considered by the taskforce is the role of...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Drugs Smuggling (26 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that they are working closely with An Garda Síochána in the aftermath of the recent drugs find off the west coast and investigations are continuing. The deployment of Revenue staff and resources is a matter for Revenue. I am advised by Revenue that they use a broad range of data, intelligence and analytics to identify and evaluate risk and to confront...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: EU Directives (26 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Insurance Distribution Directive was published in the Official Journal of the European Union in February 2016 and must be transposed into Irish law by February 2018. It will replace the Insurance Mediation Directive which was adopted in 2002 to regulate point of sale insurance products and will create a single market for the sale of insurance products. The Insurance Distribution...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: NAMA Loans Sale (26 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy will be aware that I, as Minister for Finance, have no role in respect of NAMA's commercial operations or decisions. Accordingly, I am not aware of specific details in relation to this particular transaction. The Deputy will also be aware that NAMA operates under the same obligation of confidentiality as banks, and that Sections 99 and 202 of the NAMA Act 2009 prohibit the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: VAT Rate Application (26 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Programme for Partnership Government contains a commitment to look at the VAT faced by community groups on certain products, such as defibrillators and to work with our EU counterparts in seeking to reform this area. Applying a zero rate of VAT to defibrillators is not currently possible under the VAT rating provisions of the EU VAT Directive, with which Irish VAT law must...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Vehicle Registration (26 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Ruling C-420/15 of the Court of Justice of the European Union concerns the circumstances in which an obligation to register a motor vehicle in a Member State would constitute an obstacle to freedom of movement for workers. National legislation provides that Irish citizens have the right to drive a car in Ireland that is registered in another Member State for a period of thirty days...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: EU Issues (26 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I presume that the Deputy is referring to the European Commission Expert Group on the Fight against Illicit Trade in Tobacco, established in 2017 under the aegis of the European Anti-Fraud Office. I am advised by Revenue that Ireland will be represented at the Expert Group by an officer of its Investigations and Prosecutions Division, and that the person concerned has no conflicts of interest.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Contracts Data (26 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: In relation to cleaning services, and indeed facilities management services generally, my Department arranges the provision of such services both for itself and for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.  There is no contract with an outside security company in respect of the provision of security for the buildings occupied by the two Departments.  Following a procurement...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Credits (26 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 109 and 110 together. The two tax credits to which the Deputy refers have different origins and policy objectives and therefore should not be considered in comparative terms. The Home Carer’s Allowance was introduced in Finance Act 2000 in the context of the commencement of a multi-year plan to move to the full individualisation of the tax...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Costs (26 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: My predecessor as Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, established the Cost of Insurance Working Group in 2016 in order to examine the factors contributing to the increasing cost of insurance and identify what short, medium and long-term measures can be introduced to help to reduce the cost of insurance for consumers and businesses.  The initial focus of the Working Group was the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (26 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: With regard to owner occupiers, Section 244 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 provides tax relief in respect of interest paid by an individual on a loan used for the purchase, repair, development or improvement of his or her sole or main residence or the sole or main residence of his or her civil partner, dependant relative or his or her former or separated spouse.  Tax relief is...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Company Liquidations (26 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Supreme Court delivered its judgment on 25 May 2017 and overturned the previous decisions of the High Court and the Court of Appeal that the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) is liable in respect of third party motor insurance claims made against the policyholders of Setanta Insurance.  The consequence of this is that the Insurance Compensation Fund (ICF) has been...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Banking Sector (26 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Notwithstanding the State's 14% minority shareholding in Bank of Ireland, I, as Minister, have no direct function in commercial decisions taken by the bank including those which are part of the relationship between the bank and its customers. Decisions of this nature are matters for the board and management of the institution. The Minister has responsibility to ensure that the bank is run...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Expenditure (26 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: My Department employs a taxi company engaged through an Office of Government Procurement drawdown contract.  The company engaged to provide the service is Net Global Taxis trading as Lynx Taxis. The following table gives details of the amounts paid to the company in the period from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2017. Year Amount paid 01/07/2015 - 30/06/2016 €13,601 01/07/2016 -...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Financial Services Regulation (26 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Central Bank regulates the licensed moneylender sector. It is, of course, a criminal offence for an unauthorised firm/person to provide financial services in Ireland that would require an authorisation under the relevant legislation which the Central Bank is the responsible body for enforcing. The Central Bank has no power or regulatory role in respect of illegal moneylending. The...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Universal Social Charge Data (26 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 118 together. I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the number of persons exempt from the USC in 2015 (the latest year for which final data are available) is shown in the table at . As regards the numbers of taxpayers subject to USC by ranges of income in 2015, the latest year for which data are available, I am advised by the Revenue...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (26 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that paternity benefit is chargeable to income tax in the same way as maternity benefit.  Taxation of paternity benefit was provided for by way of an amendment to Section 126(2A) of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, which was contained in section 36 of the Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears (26 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 120 and 123 together. The Central Bank Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears (CCMA) is a key part of the overall framework to protect and assist people who are experiencing difficulty with a mortgage secured on a primary residence.  In particular, the CCMA outlines the process to be followed by relevant firms to ensure borrowers in arrears (or...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Home Repossessions (26 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy is aware, the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government last summer launched Rebuilding Ireland, the Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. The Action Plan represents a whole of government response to the issues in the housing market with actionable measures across a wide range of areas, designed to stimulate housing supply and remove many of the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Property Ownership (26 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Matters relating to the registration and transfer of the ownership and title of land, and any charges attached to land, is a matter which falls within the policy remit of the Department of Justice and Equality.  However, disputes which relate to the basis or legality of a particular debt, or the security provided for such a debt, and the consequent right of the...