Results 12,141-12,160 of 32,924 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Private Partnerships Data (30 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department's role in relation to Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) is to maintain and develop the general policy framework (including, where necessary, the legal framework) within which PPPs operate. My Department also provides central guidance to Departments and other State Authorities in that context. My Department has no direct...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Vehicle Registration (31 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Section 130 of the Finance Act 1992 as amended by section 53 of the Finance Act 2017 provides that from 31 July 2018 N1 vehicles with 4 or more seats will be liable to VRT at the Category A rate except where the vehicle has a BE bodywork code. The BE bodywork code is assigned at type approval stage to N1 vehicles where the vehicle does not exceed 3,500 kilograms, and where the seating...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Corporate Tax Compliance (31 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 to 138, inclusive, together. In relation to question number 4705 and question Number 4709, I am informed by Revenue that between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2017 a total of 3,893 companies had notified Revenue that they were qualifying companies for the purposes of section 110 Taxes Consolidation Act 1997. 762 of these company's corporation tax...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Credit Union Lending (31 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I can advise the Deputy that Section 35 of the Credit Union Act 1997 as amended by the Central Bank Reform Act 2010 provided for the making of loans by a credit union and provided the Central Bank with certain regulation making powers. The legislation set out limits on lending over 5 years and over 10 years. Following commencement of the Credit Union and Co-operation with Overseas Regulators...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Excise Duties Reliefs (31 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Revenue is the licensing authority for most excise licences in the State however it does not have responsibility for handling applications for Special Exemption Orders.  These are the responsibility of the Courts Service, as is the collection of the appropriate excise duty.  On application for a Special Exemption Licence a fee is paid to the Courts Service by the publican.  The...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Ministerial Advisers Data (31 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to inform the Deputy that there are currently two Special Advisers employed in the Department of Finance, who are on the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform's payroll. Ms Deborah Sweeney was appointed as Special Adviser to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform with effect from 6 May 2016. Ms Sweeney was re-appointed as Special Adviser to the Minister...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Pensions Legislation (31 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Approved Retirement Funds (ARFs) are post-retirement investment vehicles through which individuals can invest the proceeds of their pension fund in retirement and draw cash as required. ARFs were introduced by Finance Act 1999 to provide control, flexibility and choice to holders of personal pensions and to proprietary director members of occupational pension schemes in relation to the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Retirements (31 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 143 and 144 together. I refer the Deputies to my response to PQ No 4003 on 30 January 2018.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service Staff Data (31 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The Civil Service Mobility scheme which comes under the remit of my department, and is administered through HR Shared Service, National Shared Service Office, offers an opportunity for staff members to apply for mobility through an open, fair, and transparent system. It is one of a number of arrangements to be put in place to fulfil the requirements of Action 15 of the Civil Service Renewal...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Advisers Data (31 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to inform the Deputy that there are currently two Special Advisers employed in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Ms Deborah Sweeney was appointed as Special Adviser to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform with effect from on 06 May 2016. Ms Deborah Sweeney was re-appointed as Special Adviser to the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform with...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Private Partnerships Data (31 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I should first explain that PPPs are already subject to the same robust and rigorous project appraisal process as traditionally procured projects.  In ensuring Departments obtain the best value-for-money from public capital investment, PPPs, just as traditionally procured projects, are subject to the project appraisal requirements contained in the Public...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Private Partnerships (31 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The Public Private Partnership (PPP) model is an internationally recognised model to design, build, finance, operate and maintain public infrastructure. In accordance with international best practice, PPP contracts already typically include detailed provisions that apply in the event of the liquidation of a consortium member of the PPP company, or an entity under the contract, to protect the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Private Partnerships Data (31 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: My Department's role in relation to Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) is to maintain and develop the general policy framework (including, where necessary, the legal framework) within which PPPs operate. It also provides central guidance to other Departments and State Authorities in that context. My Department has no direct involvement in the procurement or delivery of individual PPP...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Proposal to Establish a Rainy Day Fund: Minister for Finance (31 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Chairman for the opportunity to address the committee. I am accompanied today by colleagues from the Department who have been involved in developing the range of options as set out in the rainy day fund consultation paper. I begin by providing some background and context to the proposal on the setting up of a rainy day fund. The concept was originally mooted by my predecessor as...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Proposal to Establish a Rainy Day Fund: Minister for Finance (31 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Does the Chairman want me to speak on-----

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Proposal to Establish a Rainy Day Fund: Minister for Finance (31 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I will deal with each of them in turn. With regard to whether there are any other examples of countries that are well advanced in doing this kind of work with a European setting, the answer is "No". When we commence this work in terms of putting together a fund, we will be in the first wave of countries that are looking to carry out this work well. In terms of compliance with fiscal rules,...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Proposal to Establish a Rainy Day Fund: Minister for Finance (31 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I am not aware of any such discussions in other countries. Even if those discussions are beginning to develop, they have not got to the point of causing discussion in either Eurogroup or ECOFIN meetings. When our thinking is more advanced on this in the next few months, I believe we will be one of the countries, if not the first country, to raise this matter.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Proposal to Establish a Rainy Day Fund: Minister for Finance (31 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: What exist in other countries are contingency reserves set aside on a by-department basis.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Proposal to Establish a Rainy Day Fund: Minister for Finance (31 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy. Regarding the first question, I would not anticipate that the contingency reserve fund could be used to fund precautionary work. In any Department, precautionary work that needs to be delivered should be part of the normal Estimates process. In my experience of dealing with these matters now, precautionary work and the objective of preventing future difficulties can be...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Proposal to Establish a Rainy Day Fund: Minister for Finance (31 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Just let me finish answering the question. If I have the Deputy's question wrong, I will deal with that. As I said, if I was to include that as a use of the contingency reserve fund, I think I would never get it set up and it would be in withdrawal all the time.