Results 11,561-11,580 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Gas Regulation Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (9 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I did not say anything about what I would not do. We are confusing two things. We are confusing the cost of the installation of the network with the economic viability test applied by the regulator. They are two separate things. The negotiation with the troika has determined how the proceeds from the sale of Bord Gáis Energy will be used. When we first met the troika to discuss this...

Gas Regulation Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (9 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I oppose the amendment because it seeks to fundamentally alter what we are trying to achieve with the Bill, namely, the sale of Bord Gáis Energy. The memorandum of understanding agreed in November 2010 between the then Government and the EU, IMF and ECB committed to setting appropriate targets for the possible privatisation of State-owned assets. Following lengthy and tough...

Gas Regulation Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (9 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I gave that commitment to Deputy Moynihan on Committee Stage and I am happy to repeat it. There is no intention on the part of the Government to privatise Irish Water. Our water assets are critical national infrastructure. Irish Water has, therefore, been established as a fully State owned subsidiary of Bord Gáis Éireann and there is no intention either now or in the future to...

Gas Regulation Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (9 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I cannot accept this amendment for the reasons that we outlined at some length on Committee Stage. To summarise, detailed comprehensive information on the retail energy market, including the state of competition in that market, is already being reported on and published on an ongoing basis by the Commission for Energy Regulation, CER. As the Minister, I am regularly updated by the regulator...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Generation (9 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The primary support mechanisms for renewables, including wind farms, are the Alternative Energy Requirement schemes and the Renewable Energy Feed-In-Tariff (REFIT) schemes. These schemes were introduced to incentivise the development of renewable electricity generation capacity necessary to allow Ireland to meet its target of meeting 40% of electricity demand from renewable generation by...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (9 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Ireland’s telecommunications market has been fully liberalised since 1999 in accordance with the requirements of binding EU Directives. The provision of electronic communications services, including broadband services and the restoration of full services when faults occur are, in the first instance, matters for the service providers operating in Ireland’s fully liberalised...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Telecommunications Services Provision (9 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The provision of mobile telecommunications services networks within Ireland's competitive market is subject to a requirement to secure a wireless telegraphy licence to access the required radio spectrum. The award of such licenses, the imposition of terms and conditions to access that spectrum and the associated monitoring of compliance by licensed providers with those terms and conditions...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Island Communities (9 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Ireland's telecommunications market has been fully liberalised since 1999 in accordance with the requirements of binding EU Directives. The market has since developed into a well-regulated market, supporting a multiplicity of commercial operators, providing services over a diverse range of technology platforms. Details of broadband services available in each County, including the islands, can...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Public Sector Staff Redundancies (9 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: There is no scheme for targeted redundancies in my Department. Application under the Cost Neutral Early Retirement Scheme is a matter for individual staff members. My Department currently has no applications under this scheme and it is not possible to predict the extent of any future applications.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Fisheries Protection (10 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I refer to the reply to Question No. 771 of 18 September 2013 and Question No. 373 of 24 September 2013 which dealt comprehensively with these issues, including the matter of compensation.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Funding (10 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: My Department does not provide any annual subvention to An Post.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Staff Remuneration (10 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: There are no employees in my Department who are paid in excess of the Taoiseach's salary or in excess of the Government's pay cap. In June 2011, the Government set pay rates for newly appointed CEOs to Commercial Semi State Companies. This information is available on the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform website at . All directions issued by the Government in relation to...

Financial Resolutions 2014: No. 3: Income Tax; No. 4: Income Tax (15 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I move the following Financial Resolutions: (1) THAT the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (No. 39 of 1997) be amended- (a) in Schedule 25B by inserting the following after the matter set out opposite reference number 15B: “ 15C. Section 284 (wear and tear allowances) subject to section 485C(1B). An amount equal to the amount of wear and tear allowances (within the meaning of section...

Financial Resolutions 2014: No. 3: Income Tax; No. 4: Income Tax (15 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: There is an interesting philosophical debate to be had about Deputy Mathews’s proposition that stamping out tax avoidance need not always be a good development. I can see certain circumstances in which this might be the case. However, in return for facilitating people in sheltering income, there has to be some kind of cost-benefit analysis: is additional economic activity generated,...

Financial Resolutions 2014: No. 3: Income Tax; No. 4: Income Tax (15 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The evidence presented to us by the Revenue Commissioners does not suggest that this is the case. Financial Resolution No. 4 amends item 47A of Schedule 25B to the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 to provide for the temporary removal of the employment and investment incentive from the high earner restriction. It is a positive measure. The restriction ensures a minimum tax rate is paid by...

Financial Resolutions 2014: No. 3: Income Tax; No. 4: Income Tax (15 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Regarding Financial Resolution No. 3 on the plant and machinery, there is very limited activity. It does not pass the test in terms of jobs created or contribution to-----

Financial Resolutions 2014: No. 3: Income Tax; No. 4: Income Tax (15 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I do not know. We are addressing only passive investors, not the kind of investor who wants to go into an SME, for example-----

Financial Resolutions 2014: No. 3: Income Tax; No. 4: Income Tax (15 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I refer to the investor rather than the investment. Active traders will be unaffected by this measure. This scheme of capital allowances is intended to provide relief for individuals who purchase plant and machinery for use in their business. Passive investors who are not actively involved in the business are claiming this relief for purchasing plant and machinery and subsequently leasing...

Financial Resolutions 2014: No. 3: Income Tax; No. 4: Income Tax (15 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: That is correct.

Financial Resolutions 2014: No. 3: Income Tax; No. 4: Income Tax (15 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The information we have is that the relief was claimed by only 14 individuals and that this roughly realised a relief used up of just over €1 million. That suggests an average relief per investor of just under the limit of restricted higher earners, €78,000. This is an anti-avoidance measure. It is not designed to bring in a great deal of additional tax to the Exchequer.