Results 1,901-1,920 of 4,810 for speaker:Liam Twomey

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: Orthodontics have a lifelong impact on a young person if there is a failure to complete proper orthodontic work on him or her. The availability of orthodontic work in the public system in this country is abysmal. Most families must do this on their own. It is not just a question of how a child's teeth are from a functional point of view. There is also the psychological aspect of young...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: I move recommendation No. 2d: In page 47, between lines 20 and 21, to insert the following: "(c) are derived from innovative activities meaning the development of a new technological, telecommunication, scientific or business process,". The Minister has put forward his version of this. He does not want to be limited to the expertise to which this section can be offered. It is too broad at...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: I move recommendation No. 2e: In page 50, before section 16, to insert the following new section: "16.—Part 30 of the Principal Act shall be amended by inserting a new section: "(785) A person who reaches retirement under a Defined Contribution Pension Scheme shall from 1 March 2009 not be required to purchase an annuity unless they do not have an income equivalent to the Non-Contributory...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: We should examine the issue of private hospitals. A new tax is being introduced on young families whereby they must pay a levy on their private health insurance. We face increasing unemployment and an additional burden will be placed on young families which may mean they will fail to pay for private health insurance. This in itself is wrong when we consider the savage cutbacks in the...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: With regard to section 16, it should be borne in mind that many private hospitals which benefit from these tax exemptions are not very profitable at present. They are not in a great financial state. This issue needs to be examined in the context of restricting the number of people with medical cards and people not paying for private health insurance because of what the Government plans to...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: I agree with Senator Doherty's comment on the availability of palliative care services, which are abysmal. It is shocking that many areas of the country do not have proper hospice care facilities to care for people with specific and special palliative care needs. In my county I believe there are two dedicated beds in an ordinary nursing home that were handed over for the provision of...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: I am sure we can indulge Senator Burke if he wishes to ask a number of questions. We do not need to prolong this session any more than necessary. I ask that a little leeway be shown to the Senator and my party will also show leeway to try to speed up the process.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: I move recommendation No. 4b: In page 63, subsection (1)(a)(i), line 10, to delete "23 per cent" and substitute "22 per cent". The recommendation proposes that the DIRT tax rate would be 22% rather than 23%.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: I move recommendation No. 4c: In page 76, subsection (1)(a), to delete lines 6 to 20 and substitute the following: " 'Threshold amount' means a baseline of zero spending on research and development as and from the start of the tax year 2009;",". We would like to see all money invested in research allowed as tax deductible. The current situation is that the baseline is only the difference...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: I would like the Minister of State to explain a matter to me. We said we would like all research and development allowable for tax reductions. He has stated this will happen after 2013 and that 2003 is the baseline level on which the entire amount will be accounted for in 2013 and beyond, but he does not want to see top loading in the system at this time. Research is becoming incredibly...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: If we left out this section and focused on research and development and the amendment we proposed, we would prevent it from being all about buildings. The tax concessions given on buildings should go directly to research and development. This would allow what will happen after 2013 to happen sooner. There is a mind block on what research and development is about and we should focus tax...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: Senator Doherty was being hard on the Tánaiste, Deputy Coughlan, when he referred to her comment about not owning a shop. People have been going to Newry since the Tánaiste said that we should shop around. Perhaps that is why she is afraid to say anything at present. Senators on this side of the House are in favour of this amendment because, as Senator Quinn said, the decision to increase...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: On the basis of what is being discussed here, the Minister should consider this measure. For example, the ESRI report from yesterday states that it sees overall consumer prices falling next year for the first time since 1946. We actually have the wrong budget. With all the increases we have been talking about, we are doing everything to make sure this happens. There has been a debate in...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: Fine Gael also supports this recommendation for the reasons outlined by Senators Quinn and O'Toole.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: What does that mean in plain English? Will stamp duty be paid on public private partnerships? Will an arrangement be made for people to have their commission returned if a PPP falls? In plain English, what is the substantive change?

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: Is there any scope for review?

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: In the current environment when we are bailing out banks and developers, it is a substantial cost to keep it.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: The point the Minister of State is making is that people will take a hit because valuations can work both ways. If the Revenue took a hit during the past decade in terms of inheritance tax because of rapidly rising property prices, that was an issue for Revenue to decide whether it would accept that risk but the converse position is not true. If people's inheritance is being put at risk...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: Is this section just a technical amendment?

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: With regard to the €200 levy on second houses or holiday homes, is it up to the individual taxpayer to list their properties in their tax returns to pay the levy to the county councils or is it up to the county councils to identify the properties?