Results 1,341-1,360 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Written Answers — Financial Services Regulation: Financial Services Regulation (19 May 2005)

Brian Cowen: My Department has been advised by the financial regulator that there are currently 53 moneylenders licensed in the State. Under section 93 of the Consumer Credit Act 1995, as amended, moneylenders are licensed by the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority. Part VIII of the Act sets out the conditions to be met by a person to obtain a licence and also governs the conduct of business by...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (19 May 2005)

Brian Cowen: As part of the Government's decentralisation programme it was decided that 250 Revenue posts should be decentralised to Athy, County Kildare. It was also decided that a further 380 Revenue posts and 34 posts from my Department would be decentralised to Kildare town. The report from the decentralisation implementation group, dated 19 November 2004, which was accepted by Government, did not...

Aer Lingus: Motion. (24 May 2005)

Brian Cowen: On behalf of the Minister for Transport, I welcome this opportunity to address the recent Government decision on key aviation matters. In particular, I wish to rebut the distortions and scare tactics of some members of the Opposition. Unlike them, the Government has confidence in the future of our aviation sector and for that reason has set out a clear strategic direction and an unambiguous...

Aer Lingus: Motion. (24 May 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am not referring to the debate tonight. We have treaded carefully in recent months because of the strategic interests at stake.

Aer Lingus: Motion. (24 May 2005)

Brian Cowen: We proceed on the basis that the airline——

Aer Lingus: Motion. (24 May 2005)

Brian Cowen: ——will continue to serve us well. Swissair is no longer in a position to serve Switzerland well. Sabena is no longer in a position to serve Belgium well. We allowed ourselves to be blinkered in our approach and we did not see what was happening in the market. If we do not take cognisance of the market, we will put at risk the great contribution that has been made thus far and we will...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (24 May 2005)

Brian Cowen: The Valuation Act 2001 provides that commercially operated child care facilities such as play schools, pre-schools, crèches and Montessori schools are liable for rates unless specific criteria for exemption are met. Schedule 4 of the Valuation Act 2001 outlines the categories of property and the various uses that are deemed to be non rateable under the Act. Paragraph 10, pertaining to...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (24 May 2005)

Brian Cowen: I assume the Deputy is referring to the disabled drivers and disabled passengers tax concessions scheme which is open to people with disabilities who meet the specified criteria and have obtained a primary medical certificate to that effect from the local Health Service Executive. The medical criteria for the purposes of the tax concessions under this scheme are set out in the Disabled...

Written Answers — Pension Declaration Forms: Pension Declaration Forms (24 May 2005)

Brian Cowen: It is accepted that the recently issued pension declaration form confused some pensioners. In light of this, the form will be reviewed, and consideration will also be given to the attachment of an explanatory covering letter with any further issues of this form.

Written Answers — Public Projects: Public Projects (24 May 2005)

Brian Cowen: As the Deputy will be aware, the National Pensions Reserve Fund Commission is independent of Government in the exercise of its functions. It controls and manages the fund with discretionary authority to determine and implement the fund's investment strategy. This investment strategy is based on a commercial investment mandate with the objective of securing the optimal return over the long...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (24 May 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that no company or entity as outlined in the details supplied is known to them. Accordingly, no certificate of authorisation under section 531 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 — otherwise referred to as a C2 — has issued to any such company or entity. However, the tax reference number furnished refers to a private individual from whom an...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (24 May 2005)

Brian Cowen: The position is that heating oil is already subject to the reduced VAT rate of 13.5% and I do not have plans to change that. The VAT rating of goods and services is subject to the requirements of EU VAT law with which Irish VAT law must comply. The VAT treatment of heating oil is based on the fact that, on 1 January 1991, it was taxed at the reduced rate. Under EU law member states can...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (24 May 2005)

Brian Cowen: Allowable deductions under the tax law relating to rental income are provided for in section 97(2) of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997. Section 97(2)(d) authorises a deduction in respect of "the costof . . . management of the premises borne by the person chargeable and relating to and constituting an expense of the transaction or transactions under which the rents or receipts were received,...

Written Answers — Prize Bonds: Prize Bonds (24 May 2005)

Brian Cowen: There are currently almost 83.5 million prize bonds outstanding, worth approximately €526 million. Prize bonds are operated by the Prize Bond Company Limited, a joint venture between An Post and Fexco, under a ten-year contract with the National Treasury Management Agency, NTMA, from 1 November 1999. The Prize Bond Company Limited holds the prize bond draw at 12.30 p.m. every Friday in the...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (24 May 2005)

Brian Cowen: The position is that traders making supplies in the State are obliged to register for VAT where certain turnover thresholds are exceeded or are likely to be exceeded in any continuous period of 12 months. The current threshold for a person supplying services is €25,500. Therefore, B&Bs must register for VAT when the turnover of the business exceeds or is likely to exceed €25,500. However,...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (24 May 2005)

Brian Cowen: The Department of Finance has issued a circular, number 6/95, to Departments regarding the treatment of social welfare benefits received by civil servants who are also in receipt of sick pay while out of work on certified sick leave. The general principle set out in the circular is that a person is entitled to a single payment only in respect of any one week whether this is sick pay or...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (24 May 2005)

Brian Cowen: A charge to capital gains tax arises in respect of chargeable gains accruing on the disposal of assets. Such gains are computed in accordance with the provisions of the Capital Gains Tax, CGT, Acts. The charge extends to individuals, companies and unincorporated bodies of persons. CGT has no connection with income, which is the basis for income tax. The Revenue Commissioners inform me that,...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (24 May 2005)

Brian Cowen: I have no plans at present to put in place a special tax relief for expenses incurred in the adoption of children from abroad. The Deputy will appreciate that I receive a significant number of requests for the introduction of new tax relief schemes. However, tax reliefs, no matter how worthwhile in themselves, narrow the tax base and make reform of the tax system more difficult.

Written Answers — Tax Yield: Tax Yield (24 May 2005)

Brian Cowen: The rate of mineral oil tax on a litre of petrol and diesel is 44.3 cent and 36.8 cent respectively. The total revenue to the Exchequer from petrol and diesel in 2004 was as follows. Mineral Oil Tax VAT Total â'¬ million â'¬ million â'¬ million Petrol 971 339 1,310 Auto Diesel 872 40 912 Total 1,843 379 2,222 As regards VAT, all...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (24 May 2005)

Brian Cowen: Stamp duty exists on various financial cards in order to provide Exchequer revenue. The stamp duty on cheques, bills of exchange and promissory notes has existed for many years and when electronic means of money transfers were subsequently introduced, stamp duty was gradually extended to these products to ensure that the stamp duty from cheques etc. was not eroded. The current annual rates of...