Results 11,521-11,540 of 32,864 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Personal Insolvency Arrangements (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 148 together. Revenue has advised me that its clear preference is always to engage positively with insolvent individuals who enter into Personal Insolvency or Debt Settlement arrangements and has to date agreed terms in more than five hundred cases since the Personal Insolvency Act was enacted. However Revenue can only "opt in" to the process...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Help-To-Buy Scheme Eligibility (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that as it is unclear on whose behalf the Deputy raised this question and having regard to confidentiality obligations under section 851A of the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997, Revenue is unable to comment on the specific case referred to by the Deputy. In general, for a property to be a qualifying residence for the purposes of the Help to Buy Scheme, that property...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: VAT Rate Application (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Programme for Partnership Government recognises the difficulties faced by community groups in relation to VAT rates on certain products such as defibrillators. This is an EU competency and the Government has committed to work with our EU counterparts in seeking to reform this area. Defibrillators, other than implantable defibrillators, are liable to VAT at the standard rate, which in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Private Partnerships (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The recent Public Investment Management Assessment (PIMA) for Ireland carried out by the IMF recommended that the results of cost-benefit analysis on Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects, and the criteria used to select them should be published. As the Deputy will be aware PPPs are subjected to the same robust and rigorous project appraisal process as traditionally procured...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Spending Code (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Public Investment Management Assessment (PIMA) undertaken for Ireland by the IMF was published on 10 November 2017. The report and its recommendations are the work of expert team from the IMF invited to assess our public investment institutions to evaluate the design and effectiveness of the institutions that shape decision-making at the three key stages of the public...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Investment Plan (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The ten year capital plan will be published in tandem with the forthcoming Ireland 2040 Plan detailing the new National Planning Framework, which is being developed by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. I understand that publication of the Ireland 2040 Plan is envisaged early next year. The main priorities for infrastructural development were identified in the Review...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: My Department has not provided funding from its Vote to any of the organisations on the list which the Deputy supplied.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Budget 2018 estimate of the public service pay bill is €17.4bn. This includes the 2018 cost of the Public Service Stability Agreement. The costs of the PSSA in subsequent years are: - 2019 - €370m - 2020 - €339m There are carryover costs associated with the Agreement of €227m in 2021. However, the actual level of the public service pay bill for the years 2021...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Standards Commissioner (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Public Sector Standards Bill 2015 provides for the establishment of the Office of the Public Sector Standards Commissioner and the holder of that office shall be known as the Public Sector Standards Commissioner. It provides that the appointment of the Commissioner shall be made by the President on the advice of the Government following a resolution passed by both Houses. It...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service Staff Data (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: As requested by the Deputy, the number of full-time equivalents (FTEs) in general Civil Service grades at the end of September 2017 (latest reconciled numbers) are set out in the followed table. GRADE NUMBERS Secretary General 28 Deputy Secretary 12 Assistant Secretary General 142 Principal Officer 771 Assistant Principal 2,238 Administrative Officer  642 Higher Executive...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service Staff Data (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The number of full-time equivalents in general Civil Service grades at the end of September 2017 (latest reconciled numbers) are set out in the following table. GRADE NUMBERS Secretary General 28 Deputy Secretary 12 Assistant Secretary General 142 Principal Officer 771 Assistant Principal 2,238 Administrative Officer 642 Higher Executive Officer 4,364 Executive Officer (Including...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Data (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 169 and 170 together. My Department received 227 requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2014 from 1 January 2017 to 1 December 2017.Of these, 142 requests were fully or partially granted, with 25 being refused. The remainder of the requests include requests that are not yet due for answer, have been withdrawn by the requester and...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Collection (6 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: While the Government has never accepted the Commission’s analysis in the Apple State aid decision, we have always been clear that we are fully committed to ensuring that recovery of the alleged State aid takes place without delay and has committed significant resources to ensuring that this is achieved as quickly as possible. The recovery obligation in the Commission’s...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (6 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that in relation to Retirement Annuity Contracts (RACs) and Personal Retirement Savings Accounts (PRSAs), Part 30 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 provides that individuals may draw down a maximum retirement lump sum of 25% of the accumulated value of their RAC or PRSA generally from age 60, but not later than age 75. For PRSAs linked to occupational pension schemes...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Expenditure (6 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The records sought by the Deputy relate to a very wide range of expenditure areas and to a very lengthy period, beginning over twenty years ago and running to almost seven years ago. In that context, the bulk of the records in question are not readily available and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost to my Department and the Exchequer.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Small and Medium Enterprises Supports (6 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The ‘Key Employee Engagement Programme’ (KEEP), introduced in Budget 2018, has the objective of supporting Small and Medium Enterprises in Ireland in competing with larger enterprises to recruit and retain key employees.  Smaller and/or younger companies with growth potential may not have the cash resources available to offer comparable salary packages to large, established...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Banking Sector Regulation (6 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I am informed by the Central Bank that when a consumer takes out a loan from a regulated lender, it is subject to adherence to all the relevant consumer protections. In relation to the transfer of a loan taking place, most loan agreements include a clause that allows the original lender to sell the loan onto another firm. Provision 3.11 of the Central Bank’s Consumer Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (6 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Civil Service Spouses’ and Children’s Scheme is a contributory scheme that provides pensions to the spouse and children of members who die in service, or after they have qualified for pension (or preserved pension). Membership is compulsory for male established civil servants appointed on or after 1 January 1969 and female established civil servants appointed on or after 1...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (6 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was established on 6 July 2011 and therefore had no expenditure under the headings provided in the question from June 1997 to January 2011.

Public Services Pay and Pensions Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (7 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputies for raising these issues. The overall effect of this Bill is to bring to an end the income reduction our public and civil servants endured during the crisis. Several Deputies have called on me to end the financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, legislation. From an earnings point of view this is bringing FEMPI to an end for 90% of those in the public...