Results 18,021-18,040 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Personal Injury Claims (15 Nov 2018)

Michael McGrath: 59. To ask the Minister for Finance his plans to propose a referendum to enable the Houses of the Oireachtas to legislate on certain personal injury claims; the timeline in which he expects to put the proposal to a referendum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47645/18]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Mortgage Lending (15 Nov 2018)

Michael McGrath: 60. To ask the Minister for Finance his views on comments by the president of the ECB that Ireland lacks competition in the mortgage market; his plans to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47646/18]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Parental Leave (15 Nov 2018)

Michael McGrath: 84. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to introduce reforms to the parental leave regime, including changes to the qualifying age of the child and to the length of the leave; if an increase in leave and the qualifying age will apply in respect of children who have already reached eight years of age and in circumstances in which the parents have already...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Michael McGrath: Any debate we have in this House on the income tax system must be placed in the context of the challenges the country faces, particularly the deficits evident across a range of public services. As elected representatives, we are all well aware of the deficits. In the health service there are issues with disability services, families waiting for extra home help hours or home care packages...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Michael McGrath: I ask the Minister for clarification in respect of the flat-rate expenses system and the changes thereto. He is confirming that what was previously put on the Dáil record about changes coming into effect in January 2019 has now changed and that they will come into effect in January 2020. Will he clarify what will occur in the meantime? Revenue had already decided to withdraw the...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Michael McGrath: Like Deputy Ryan, this is an issue I pressed on Committee Stage. I welcome the Minister's amendment. I think it was patently unfair to change the goalposts for those for whom a car had been provided by their company over the course of 2018 up to budget day. That was certainly unfair. I think the Minister has recognised that because various promotional material was produced following the...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Michael McGrath: That may be so.

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Michael McGrath: It is not for a constituent, in case the Minister of State thinks it is. I look at all the issues brought to my attention with an open mind and with fairness as the guiding principle. The wording used by the Minister covers where the car was first made available to the employee up to 9 October 2018, and in that circumstance the Department is not applying the €50,000 cap. In the case...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Michael McGrath: Why not?

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Michael McGrath: Some of the numbers put on the record by the Minister concerning the growth in the scheme are quite extraordinary. I have consistently made the point, on behalf of my party, that the kernel of the issue is whether there is a demonstrable link to employment creation and retention. It is only in that circumstance that such a scheme can be justified to the hundreds of thousands of workers who...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Michael McGrath: The Minister used numbers which were intended to be illustrative of the salaries people might earn and the benefit they would get. He said that somebody earning €9 million would benefit to the tune of €1 million per annum as a result of SARP. To the best of my knowledge, the salaries of those benefitting from SARP at the higher end have not been provided. Are individuals who...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Michael McGrath: I move amendment No. 14:In page 80, after line 35, to insert the following:“Report on operation of Employment Incentive and Investment Scheme 25.The Minister shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before the Oireachtas a report on the operation of the Employment Incentive and Investment Scheme.”. This amendment relates to the employment incentive...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. Is he confident that the issues that affect the operation of this scheme are being dealt with and that we will see improved efficiency? The feedback I am getting consistently is that the scheme is overly cumbersome, an administrative nightmare and that it is taking too long to get approval, with the overall consequence of it not being an...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Michael McGrath: As I said at the beginning, the reason I tabled the amendment was that it was just not possible on Committee Stage to work one's way through pages and pages of amendments. I know the Minister of State is consolidating the text, but schemes such as this do not always get the scrutiny and attention they deserve. It is a really important scheme. We want to ensure that those benefiting from it...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Michael McGrath: He has contributed twice.

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Michael McGrath: Yes.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (20 Nov 2018)

Michael McGrath: 183. To ask the Minister for Finance the recourse open to persons in cases in which a decision of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman has not been implemented by the financial services provider; the number of such cases in recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48402/18]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance (20 Nov 2018)

Michael McGrath: 602. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to address the situation by which domiciliary care allowance is not payable in respect of certain children with a disability in circumstances (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47734/18]

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (21 Nov 2018)

Michael McGrath: I move amendment No. 16:In page 92, between lines 9 and 10, to insert the following:“Report on exclusion of Cork City and Council 26.The Minister shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before the Oireachtas a report on the exclusion of Cork City and County from the tapered regional uplift in relation to the film tax credit in section 481 of the Taxes...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (21 Nov 2018)

Michael McGrath: Thank you. I was just clarifying where we are starting. In the budget announcement and provided for within the Finance Bill is a very welcome regional uplift of 5% with respect to the film tax relief. As I understand it, the uplift of the tax relief across the regions is underpinned by the European Union regional aid guidelines. The map accompanying those guidelines indicates the greater...