Results 1,441-1,460 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Tax Code. (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: On a point of order——

Tax Code. (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: The non-residency rules that apply in this country were agreed under a Fianna Fáil-Labour coalition Government in 1994.

Tax Code. (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: It has been suggested that I am seeking to help or protect people. That is not the situation. I am here to provide factual information. The Cinderella rule means that only if one is resident in the State at midnight is one deemed to have been resident in the State for that day. The Deputy can conjure up any number of possibilities, however realistic or precedent-setting, that meet that rule....

Tax Code. (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: It is unfortunate, but some things cannot be allowed to pass.

Tax Code. (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: My integrity is not going to be challenged under privilege. If the Deputy wants to challenge it outside the House, she should do so. I will gladly sue her.

Tax Code. (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: As the Deputy is aware, I announced in my Budget Statement that my Department and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners will undertake a detailed review of certain tax incentive schemes and tax exemptions in 2005. I subsequently announced in a press release on 6 January 2005 that my Department had advertised for two external consultancy studies to separately review area-based tax incentive...

Tax Code. (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy makes a presumption he is not entitled to make. There is no basis for such a presumption. He is entitled to the view that there should be no tax relief schemes in the country, if that is his view. As any Minister for Finance would, I review on an ongoing basis the opportunities that exist to raise revenue or economic activity or to create incentives for certain activities. These...

Tax Code. (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy did not say that but neither did he suggest that any benefit was to be derived from these schemes. I will cite some benefits, for example. There is a financial services centre in Dublin, with 20,000 of the best paid jobs in the country. There also happens to be an annual revenue take for the Exchequer of €700 million. I suggest to the Deputy that a more balanced reaction to all...

Tax Code. (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: He certainly did.

Tax Code. (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: It did.

Tax Code. (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: I will answer it now.

Tax Code. (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: My apologies. I will certainly wait.

Tax Code. (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: I will tell the Deputy why. As Minister for Finance, I am entitled to introduce a budget and the Finance Bill, which, if enacted by the Oireachtas, becomes law. It is called a democratic mandate. The Deputy may have a different opinion on certain issues. When he has a sufficient mandate he can come over to the Government benches and I will challenge him from the Opposition side. It is called...

Tax Code. (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy majored on the second part of his question. As regards the Deputy's original question, I have just explained that I decide what tax reliefs we will review. I have explained to the Deputy what ones we will review. There are reliefs that are not being reviewed because they were reviewed recently, while others are not subject to formal review in this structured proposal. In budgetary...

Tax Code. (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: No. It is nonsense to suggest that there is any uisce faoi thalamh. There are issues of confidentiality, systems and a budgetary process which I have a mandate to utilise and protect. I am entitled to do so.

Tax Code. (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: I do not have to tell the Deputy my budget in the month of June.

Public Capital Investment. (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: Provision for public capital investment is set out in the five-year rolling multi-annual capital envelope introduced in budget 2004. This multi-annual commitment of resources, which maintains investment at or close to 5% of GNP or around twice the EU average, underlines the Government's priority to capital investment. The relative priority at programme level is set out in the various...

Public Capital Investment. (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: It has been decided not to proceed as yet with another national development plan — the current plan runs to the end of 2006. The shape the next plan may take is an issue to be considered by Government in due course. Regarding the figures regularly mentioned, it is pointed out in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and the report of the Committee of Public Accounts that the...

Public Capital Investment. (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: I do not accept that my reply was timid. I regard it as a reply necessary in the interests of providing some accuracy regarding the assertions made on these matters by the political opposition in recent weeks, and in the interests of bringing some perspective and balance to the debate. The new cost appraisal guidelines I have introduced since becoming Minister for Finance are being discussed...

Public Capital Investment. (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: Clarity is sometimes lost in attempting to set out the complexities of the issues for the public to consider in an accurate manner. It is not appropriate to apply project concept costs relating to mid-1990 figures to work done in 2002, 2003 or 2004. Clearly, the outturn costs on the projects involved would be different. Those in households know that in terms of capital works they undertook,...