Results 19,341-19,360 of 32,999 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Meetings (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The information the Deputy seeks will take some time to collate and my Department will be unable to respond by Tuesday 1 October 2019. I will provide the Deputy with a response as soon as possible. 

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Energy Schemes (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: As I have already noted in responses to Parliamentary Questions on this topic, responsibility for the deep retrofit scheme rests with the Minister for Communications, Climate Action & Environment. There was no consultation with my Department regarding the closure of the scheme.  In June of this year, officials in my Department provided sanction to allow the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Stability Agreement (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The cost of the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018 – 2020 (PSSA) was estimated at €887m for the period from 2018 to 2020; €178m in 2018, €370m in 2019 and €339m for 2020. In addition, the final year of the Lansdowne Road Agreement 2016 – 2018 (LRA) and the first year of the PSSA ran concurrently in 2018 with an estimated cost of the LRA in 2018...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Projects (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 164 to 167, inclusive, together. Due to the nature of its role, my Department has not funded projects outside of public service bodies in Laois and Kildare from its own Vote in the last five years. The main purpose of projects and associated investment undertaken by my Department is to support greater effectiveness and efficiency across the Civil and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Public Service Pay Commission was tasked under the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020 to conduct a comprehensive examination of underlying difficulties in recruitment and retention of staff in the public service, including the Defence Forces. The Report by the Pay Commission on Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces has been published and is available on the Public...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Decentralisation Programme (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, there was a Decentralisation Programme announced in December 2003 which set out a goal of relocating over 10,000 civil and public service jobs to 53 locations in 25 counties. The Government decided in 2011 that the Decentralisation Programme be cancelled in light of the budgetary and staffing outlook at that time. Up to that date, about a...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: My Department has not incurred any capital expenditure on projects in excess of €10 million since 1 January 2014.  In respect of the relevant bodies under the aegis of the Department, the National Shared Services Office will respond to the Deputy directly.  The position regarding the Office of Public Works (OPW) is set out in the following tables: OPW Vote Capital...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Brexit Issues (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Government has always been clear that Brexit, in whatever form it takes, will have a negative economic impact on Ireland.  Since the referendum result, therefore, Brexit has been a central to the Government’s decision-making and in the management of our economic and fiscal policy. The Government has been taking steps to boost the resilience of the economy by balancing our...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Government Expenditure (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 174 to 177, inclusive, 179 and 181 together. Managing expenditure within allocations is a key responsibility of every Department and Minister. A number of measures are in place to ensure that our expenditure and budgetary targets are being achieved on an ongoing basis. There is regular reporting to Government on expenditure levels and expenditure profiles...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Government Expenditure (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Following a period of consolidation after the economic crisis, over the last number of years there has been modest growth in expenditure. Compared to the end 2014 outturn, gross voted expenditure in 2019 is profiled to be 25% higher as set out in section 2.2 of the Budget 2019 Expenditure Report. Indeed, in 2019, €66.6 billion has been allocated...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Measures (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 286 of 23 July 2019.  PQ Ref: 32195/19: The process of unwinding the Financial Emergency (FEMPI) legislation commenced under the Lansdowne Road Agreement 2016 – 2018 and will be completed under the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018 – 2020 (PSSA). The PSSA, which was negotiated in 2017, and the provisions of which were...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Public Procurement is governed by EU legislation and National rules and guidelines. The aim of these rules is to promote an open, competitive and non-discriminatory public procurement regime which delivers best value for money. The Office of Government Procurement (OGP) has responsibility for developing and setting out the overarching policy framework for public procurement in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Reform Plan Measures (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am happy to inform the Deputy that the significant public service reforms that this Government has undertaken in recent years continue to deliver improved services and value for money across a range of specific areas such as governance, accountability, procurement, shared services, organisational reform and property management. Two notable examples are the establishment of...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (2 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, it is a longstanding practice of the Minister for Finance not to comment, in advance of the Budget, on any tax matters that might be the subject of Budget decisions.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (2 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 110 to 112, inclusive, together. As the Deputy will be aware, it is a longstanding practice of the Minister for Finance not to comment, in advance of the Budget, on any tax matters that might be the subject of Budget decisions.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Data (2 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113 and 114 together. I am advised by Revenue that information is not available on tax returns that separately identifies business assets and share disposals from other qualifying assets for retirement relief. Also, to estimate the cost of the proposals would require information on the gains made on disposal of the assets. For these reasons, it is not...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Data (2 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that approximately 25,000 taxpayer units (spouses or civil partners opting for joint assessment are counted as one unit) are liable to the 3% USC (Universal Social Charge) surcharge, which applies to non-PAYE income in excess of €100,000. The cost of abolishing this surcharge is estimated at €69 million in the first year and €128 million in a...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs Application (2 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Start-Up Capital Incentive (“SCI”) was introduced in Finance Act 2018 as a tax relief for early stage micro companies to attract equity based risk finance from family members, including parents, and other "connected persons" up to the €500,000 lifetime limit. I am advised by Revenue that they are aware of the concern raised in the Deputy’s question. While...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs Application (2 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: In general, consideration of any tax changes in advance of Budget 2020 are undertaken within the annual Budgetary and Finance Bill process. The Deputy will appreciate that I cannot comment on any possible changes at this time. As regards the relief, I am advised by Revenue that capital acquisitions tax relief is available in relation to certain business assets passing by way of gifts or...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Small and Medium Enterprises Supports (2 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy may be aware, in May and June of this year, my Department undertook a consultation process on various taxation measures and how they might better support the small and medium enterprise sector. In relation to the Key Employee Engagement Programme (KEEP), the purpose was to seek to identify potential changes that could help it to operate in a more effective manner...