Results 1,101-1,120 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (27 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that precise figures are not available as to the number of letters which issued from the financial institutions. It is understood to be in excess of 100,000. It is not known how many accounts or individuals this represents because some individuals had accounts in different banks or in different branches of the same bank. In other instances there was...

Written Answers — EU Budget: EU Budget (27 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: From the start of these negotiations, Ireland has adopted the approach of examining each of the Commission's proposals on its merits, having regard to what is best for the European Union as a whole and for Ireland. Within this broad approach, we have looked at the Commission's proposals to see if they provide adequate resources for the implementation and development of Union policies and to...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (27 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that a wide range of initiatives has already been taken to inform PAYE taxpayers of their entitlements to tax credits-reliefs and so avoid overpayments of tax. The Revenue Commissioners inform me that the vast majority of PAYE workers receive their full entitlements every year. At the beginning of each year a tax credit certificate is issued to every...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (27 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that their Ansbacher review team has been carrying out detailed investigations since October 1999. The investigation has essentially two elements. There are Ansbacher type arrangements and there are other cases involving offshore funds and deposits. The Revenue Commissioners have advised that the review team has inquired into 289 cases to date and 115...

Written Answers — Tribunals of Inquiry: Tribunals of Inquiry (27 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: The high cost is in part a function of the complexity and duration of some inquiries, for example, the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments was established, following a resolution of Dáil Éireann, by instrument of the then Minister for the Environment and Local Government in November 1997. The cost is also driven by the structure of such inquiries and the process...

Written Answers — Financial Services Regulation: Financial Services Regulation (27 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: Reinsurance is a business-to-business activity and consequently there are widely different approaches to the degree, if any, to which it is subject to particular regulatory requirements. This disparity in approach is also evident within the European Union. The European Union is about to agree a reinsurance directive which will oblige all member states to introduce a supervisory regime for...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (27 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 119 and 125 together. I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the current focus of their investigation is into undisclosed funds invested in life assurance products. In the first phase of the investigation taxpayers who come within the scope of the investigation are being encouraged to come forward voluntarily and make the appropriate disclosures and...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (27 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: Tax reliefs and incentives are regularly placed under review as part of the budget and Finance Bill process. The tax strategy group, whose papers are largely put into the public domain, has from the time of its establishment routinely reviewed tax expenditures and incentive relief provisions. Second, as the Deputy is aware, I announced in my Budget Statement that my Department and the Office...

Written Answers — Financial Services Regulation: Financial Services Regulation (27 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am aware of the concerns expressed by a number of commentators about the continued increase in credit growth, particularly to the household sector, and the possible effects of increasing indebtedness upon borrowers. The growth of credit and the associated increase in indebtedness are a matter for the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland, taking into account its role as a...

Written Answers — Exchequer Returns: Exchequer Returns (27 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: I have already issued a press statement regarding the end of March Exchequer returns, which is available on my Department's website. As stated in the press statement, an Exchequer surplus of €880 million was recorded in the first quarter of 2005. Tax receipts were €221 million or 2.5% ahead of profile, due largely to the better than anticipated performance of VAT. The end of March...

Written Answers — Non-Resident Accounts: Non-Resident Accounts (27 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: Authorised Revenue Commissioners officers are empowered to make an application to a judge of the High Court seeking an order requiring financial institutions to supply names, addresses and other relevant information concerning account holders who may have held bogus non-resident deposit accounts. Such applications are made under section 908 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, as amended by...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (27 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: There are currently nine EU directives for which my Department has responsibility which have yet to be implemented. The deadline has passed in the case of three of these directives. One of the three was transposed through a number of sections in Part 3 of the Finance Act 2004 ahead of the transposition deadline of 1 January 2005 but the Commission was not notified in advance of the deadline....

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (27 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: As I stated in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 52 dated 1 February 2005 and Parliamentary Question No. 69 dated 3 March 2005, all organisations that are decentralising, including Ordnance Survey Ireland, OSI, have prepared and submitted an implementation plan as requested by the decentralisation implementation group, DIG. This plan included detailed material on all issues to be...

Written Answers — Financial Services Regulation: Financial Services Regulation (27 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: Following consultation with the Financial Services Ombudsman Council and the financial regulator, I have made regulations to extend the remit of the Financial Services Ombudsman. Consequently, the ombudsman can deal with eligible consumer complaints against financial service providers that are not subject to regulation by the financial regulator but are covered by the terms of the Consumer...

Written Answers — Disabled Drivers: Disabled Drivers (27 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: I have no direct responsibility for the day to day operation of the medical board of appeal for the disabled drivers and disabled passengers tax concessions scheme. As the Deputy is aware, there have been a number of administrative difficulties with the board of appeal. However, these have now been resolved, and in this respect I appointed a new chairperson to the board on 14 March and a new...

Written Answers — Disabled Drivers: Disabled Drivers (27 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: I have no direct responsibility for the day to day operation of the medical board of appeal for the disabled drivers and disabled passengers tax concessions scheme. As the Deputy is aware, there have been a number of administrative difficulties with the board of appeal. However, these have now been resolved and in this respect I appointed a new chairperson to the board on 14 March and a new...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (27 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: The precise information the Deputy seeks is not held centrally by my Department at present. I am having it compiled and will make it available to the Deputy shortly.

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (27 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: I have no plans to introduce a development land tax. There is already provision in the capital gains tax code to tax gains on the sale of development land. I have no estimate of the revenue yield from a specific land tax as this depends on the rate of tax applied and the value of the assets concerned.

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (27 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: There is no estimate available on a costing for a change such as this. There are a number of factors that would need to be considered in making any estimate, including how the reduction in hours worked by existing public service employees would be covered, for example, by employing extra personnel or increased reliance on overtime. No analysis has been carried out of the cost of such a...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (27 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 171 and 172 together. It is assumed that the threshold for the proposed new top rates of income tax mentioned by the Deputy would not alter the existing standard rate band structure applying to single and widowed persons, to lone parents and married couples and would also provide for the insertion of a new band at 42% up to €100,000 for all individual...