Results 81-100 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Seanad: Disabled Drivers. (7 Oct 2004)

Brian Cowen: I thank the Senator for raising this matter and I apologise for the Minister of Transport's inability to attend the House. Section 35 of the Road Traffic Act 1994 provides that the Minister for Transport may make regulations for the general control of traffic and pedestrians. Traffic and parking regulations made under that section in 1997, together with subsequent amendment regulations,...

Estimates for Public Services 2004: Leave to Introduce. (12 Oct 2004)

Brian Cowen: I move: That leave be given by the Dáil to introduce the following Supplementary and Additional Estimates for the service of the year ending on 31 December 2004: Vote No. 16 (Public Appointments Service) (Supplementary Estimate) Vote No. 39 (Office of the Commission for Public Service Appointments) (Additional Estimate).

Estimates for Public Services 2004: Referral to Select Committee. (12 Oct 2004)

Brian Cowen: I move: That, subject to leave being given to introduce the following Supplementary and Additional Estimates for the service of the year ending on 31 December 2004, the Supplementary and Additional Estimates be referred to the Select Committee on Finance and the Public Service pursuant to Standing Order 152(3) and paragraph (1)(a)(ii) of that committee's Orders of Reference which shall report...

Membership of Committees: Motion. (12 Oct 2004)

Brian Cowen: I move: That Deputy Mary Hanafin, Minister for Education and Science, be discharged from the Committee on Procedure and Privileges and Deputy Tom Kitt, Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, be appointed in substitution for her; that Deputy Mary Hanafin, Minister for Education and Science, be discharged from the Joint Committee on Broadcasting and Parliamentary Information and...

Written Answers — Motor Vehicle Registration: Motor Vehicle Registration (12 Oct 2004)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that new on-line facilities have greatly reduced the demand for service at their vehicle registration offices. An increasing number of motor dealers now register new vehicles on-line themselves — currently approximately 80% of such registrations nationally are on-line — in preference to using the facilities at vehicle registration offices. In...

Written Answers — State Laboratory: State Laboratory (12 Oct 2004)

Brian Cowen: I am conscious of the importance of service provided to coroners by the State Laboratory and the impact it inevitably has on relatives of people whose deaths are the subject of inquests at a time of great distress. The management of the laboratory share that sensitivity and constantly monitor the service by reviewing available resources, the possibilities for outsourcing and the complexity of...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (12 Oct 2004)

Brian Cowen: The inheritance and gift tax thresholds referred to by the Deputy are increased each year in line with the annual increase in the consumer price index. The thresholds for the past three years are as follows: Indexed Group Thresholds Group Relationship to Disponer 2002 2003 2004 â'¬ â'¬ â'¬ A Son/Daughter 422,148 441,198 456,438 B Parent/ Brother/ Sister/ Niece/...

Written Answers — Disabled Drivers: Disabled Drivers (12 Oct 2004)

Brian Cowen: My Department has no direct involvement in the operation of the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal. However, I am informed that there is currently a backlog of appeals to be dealt with by the board. At present, there is a waiting time of over two years for appellants to be seen by the board. I am advised that the backlog of appeals — approximately 600 — is caused by a number of...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (12 Oct 2004)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the full year cost to the Exchequer, estimated by reference to projected 2005 incomes, of the change mentioned by the Deputy is estimated at approximately €4,200 million.

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (12 Oct 2004)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 109 and 110 together. It is difficult to estimate the amount such a tax would bring in because details on the value of all residential property are not readily available. Based on data from the CSO 2002 census, updated with 2003 figures, the number of households in Ireland in 2003 was approximately 1.4 million, and the average house price was about €265,000....

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (12 Oct 2004)

Brian Cowen: In accordance with EU and Irish VAT legislation, most education, including primary and post-primary schools, is already exempt from VAT. This means that the schools do not charge VAT on the services they supply but they cannot recover VAT on the goods and services that they purchase. Essentially, only VAT-registered businesses which charge VAT are able to recover VAT. I presume the Deputy is...

Written Answers — Disabled Drivers: Disabled Drivers (12 Oct 2004)

Brian Cowen: The disabled drivers and disabled passengers (tax concessions) scheme is open to people with disabilities who meet the specified criteria and have obtained a primary medical certificate to that effect. The senior area medical officer attached to the relevant local health board is responsible for both the medical assessment and the issue of the medical certificate. The medical criteria for the...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (12 Oct 2004)

Brian Cowen: The data from the CAF, operated by the Civil Service Commission, published last month showed that 15 members of the staff of Ordnance Survey Ireland, OSI, have applied to decentralise to Dungarvan, with a further 47 expressions of interest in decentralising to Dungarvan OSI by civil servants.

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (12 Oct 2004)

Brian Cowen: The Revenue Commissioners have informed me that a cumulative tax credit certificate issued to the taxpayer's current employer on 6 October. This will take her off the emergency tax basis and any tax over deducted will be repaid to her by her employer. The delay in issuing the tax credit certificate was due the fact that the taxpayer's previous employer did not submit her form P45 containing...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (12 Oct 2004)

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that an application from the person in question for a refund of VAT in accordance with the Value Added Tax (Refund of Tax) (No. 25) Order 1993 was received on 12 February 2002. The application was for a refund in respect of VAT on expenditure incurred in the period from 1986 to 2001. A refund relating to the period 1992 to 2001 was authorised....

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (12 Oct 2004)

Brian Cowen: Abatement, which is a standard feature of all public service superannuation schemes, is the practice whereby pension payments to a retired public servant may be stopped or reduced if the pensioner is re-employed in certain employments in the public service. The rules and practices governing the application of abatement are often specific to individual pension schemes. As a general guide, the...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (12 Oct 2004)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 118 together. I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that they estimate there were 92,100 claimants of the home carer's tax credit in respect of 2003 in the PAYE sector. The corresponding information in respect of claimants who are self-employed taxpayers will not be available until the appropriate data from self-assessment tax returns are...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (19 Oct 2004)

Brian Cowen: I assume the Deputy is referring to the recent changes applying PAYE to benefits-in-kind, BIK, introduced with effect from 1 January 2004 and for which legislative provision was made in the Finance Acts 2003 and 2004 and the Social Welfare Acts 2003 and 2004. The intention of the new system is to ensure that generally all remuneration, in whatever form, is treated in the same way for income...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (19 Oct 2004)

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the refund is being withheld as the taxpayer has not complied with preliminary tax requirements, that is, preliminary income tax 2003 which was due on 31 October 2003 is outstanding.

Written Answers — Disabled Drivers: Disabled Drivers (19 Oct 2004)

Brian Cowen: The report of the interdepartmental review group sets out in detail the genesis and development of the disabled drivers and disabled passengers tax concessions scheme including the current benefits, the Exchequer costs, the various requests to broaden the eligibility criteria and various recommendations for changes to the scheme. Following on from two of the report's recommendations...