Results 15,821-15,840 of 16,537 for speaker:Brian Lenihan Jnr

Written Answers — Tax Reliefs: Tax Reliefs (14 Dec 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the available information relates to the exemption of certain earnings of writers, composers and artists in Waterford city and county who made income tax returns for the four income tax years 2005 to 2008, the latest year for which the necessary detailed information is available, and is as follows: Tax Year Number of claimants 2005 30 2006...

Written Answers — Benchmarking Awards: Benchmarking Awards (14 Dec 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The first Public Service Benchmarking Body was established under the terms of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness on 19 July 2000. The average award recommended in the report was 8.9%. The total pay and pension costs amounted to approximately €1.2bn. The year-on-year cost was as follows: 2003 €592m 2004 €306m 2005 €166m 2006 €128m The second Public Service Benchmarking Body...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (14 Dec 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I have no role in assessing or confirming an individual's tax liability or in making payment arrangements. These are a matter for the Revenue Commissioners. I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the person in question is issued with a tax return (Form 12) annually as he is in receipt of owner-occupier relief under the Rural Renewal Scheme. This person incorrectly received a refund...

Written Answers — Personal Earnings: Personal Earnings (14 Dec 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The information requested, estimated by reference to the income tax year 2010, is set out in the following table. However, because of the Revenue Commissioners' obligation to observe confidentiality in relation to the taxation affairs of individual taxpayers and small groups of taxpayers, the breakdown by income bands requested by the Deputy is not provided in relation to incomes exceeding...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (14 Dec 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I can inform the Deputy that the Office of the Attorney General advised on all aspects of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill. The public service pension reduction measure is in accordance with the Croke Park Agreement. Section 3 provides that the calculation of public service pensions is not affected. "Nothing in section 2 shall affect the calculation of any...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (14 Dec 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Stamp Duty reforms as announced in the Budget have two aims: stimulation of the property market and commencing the necessary infrastructure for the commitment in the National Recovery Plan to introduce a Site Value Tax. As a result of the changes, Stamp Duty at a rate of 1% where the property value is under €1m and 2% on the excess above €1m, will now be payable on all residential...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (14 Dec 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Department of Finance, the Office of the Revenue Commissioners and independent consultants carried out major detailed reviews of certain tax incentive schemes in 2005. A key recommendation of these reviews was that a cost benefit analysis should be carried out on any proposed future scheme prior to their introduction. A tax incentive scheme for the mid-Shannon region was subsequently...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (14 Dec 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: My Department together with the Revenue Commissioners has been engaged in detailed discussions with the Office of the Attorney General in relation to the many complex issues associated with the legacy property relief schemes which continue to cost the Exchequer several hundreds of millions of Euro a year in tax forgone. The measures announced in the Budget are intended to be proportionate...

Written Answers — Dental Practice Incomes: Dental Practice Incomes (14 Dec 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The operation of the Treatment Benefits Scheme, which includes Dental Benefit, is funded from the Social Insurance Fund and is the responsibility of my colleague Mr Eamon O Cuiv TD, Minister for Social Protection. I am informed by the Department of Social Protection that payments made under the Treatment Benefit Scheme show a drop of 59.8% in 2010 over 2009. However as dental practice...

Written Answers — Tax Statements: Tax Statements (14 Dec 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I have been advised by the Revenue Commissioners that a PAYE Balancing Statement (P21) for the tax year 2009 will issue to the person concerned shortly.

EU-IMF Programme of Financial Support: Motion (15 Dec 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the terms of the agreements detailed below, copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 14 December 2010, and in particular, the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies and the Memorandum of Understanding on Specific Economic Policy Conditionality agreed by the Government and which set out the criteria in respect of which a positive evaluation...

EU-IMF Programme of Financial Support: Motion (15 Dec 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: That is a complete misrepresentation.

EU-IMF Programme of Financial Support: Motion (15 Dec 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Not surprisingly, this has been a profoundly dreary and dispiriting debate. Deputies need to deal in reality. Our capacity to avoid the pressing and difficult issues is remarkable. Worse than that, the use of our difficult position to score cheap political points is frankly depressing. I heard Deputy Kenny opening his contribution today by announcing that Ireland was bankrupt. That is...

EU-IMF Programme of Financial Support: Motion (15 Dec 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Sinn Féin solution is to tax at 70% and destroy whatever jobs are left in the country.

EU-IMF Programme of Financial Support: Motion (15 Dec 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: We know where that policy of excessive taxation will lead. It is most unlikely that any lenders will lend us any money to fund the State with a policy like that. You know this and you keep misleading people with these foolish economic policies.

EU-IMF Programme of Financial Support: Motion (15 Dec 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Excuse me, Deputy.

EU-IMF Programme of Financial Support: Motion (15 Dec 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am entitled to reply to points that are made in the debate.

EU-IMF Programme of Financial Support: Motion (15 Dec 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: A Leas-Cheann Chomhairle, public expenditure in this country has reached an unsustainable level. That is a fact that any Government must face. If the measures that were taken in recent years had not been taken, our borrowing requirement would have been 20% of our GDP. That is the factual position since 2008. In my budget speech, I set out the analysis of our economic problems that has...

EU-IMF Programme of Financial Support: Motion (15 Dec 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Now they have the audacity to suggest-----

EU-IMF Programme of Financial Support: Motion (15 Dec 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: -----that we are not reducing numbers enough in the public sector, having campaigned with these expensive posters about more nurses, teachers and gardaí.