Results 20,001-20,020 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Rebates (19 Feb 2015)

Michael McGrath: 69. To ask the Minister for Finance when refunds of deposit interest retention tax will be processed for qualifying first-time buyers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7611/15]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland Expenditure (19 Feb 2015)

Michael McGrath: 70. To ask the Minister for Finance the amount of lending activity supported by the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7612/15]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Exemptions (19 Feb 2015)

Michael McGrath: 71. To ask the Minister for Finance the cost in each year, from 2010 to 2014, of the tax exemption under section 1003 of the Taxes Consolidation Act; the number of persons who availed of the scheme during each year; if he will provide details of their donations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7613/15]

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (18 Feb 2015)

Michael McGrath: Is there a change from monthly pay to fortnightly pay? This issue has been raised with regard to the Department of Finance and Revenue and extra costs are involved.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (18 Feb 2015)

Michael McGrath: Travel and subsistence is approximately €585,000 and reference is made to additional ministerial visits to China, Singapore and Hong Kong. Do these relate to the IFSC?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (18 Feb 2015)

Michael McGrath: Subhead (vi) of Vote 7 is with regard to office premises expenses. This will increase to approximately €1.4 million in 2015. Does this relate to once-off remedial work?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (18 Feb 2015)

Michael McGrath: With regard to financial services policy, under subhead (vii), consultancy and other services, the actual figure for 2013 was approximately €3.5 million, the Estimate for 2014 was €6.5 million and the Estimate for 2015 is €5.6 million. Do we have a breakdown of the main elements of this?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (18 Feb 2015)

Michael McGrath: I will leave it at that.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (18 Feb 2015)

Michael McGrath: It is a great reform.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (18 Feb 2015)

Michael McGrath: It is for 11 months.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (18 Feb 2015)

Michael McGrath: I will clarify. I am putting all the questions I have that relate to the Vote, including the outputs, in my block of time. I have a couple of points to raise with the Minister on Vote 8, the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General. There is an increase in the budget for 2015 which appears to relate to the recruitment of some additional staff. In the notes we have, there is a...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (18 Feb 2015)

Michael McGrath: I fully concur it must be properly resourced. When we were in office we did not have that number of reports per year that the Comptroller and Auditor General did not complete. The Minister gave an outline of the number that has been reducing over the last years and referred to about 130 matters that the Comptroller and Auditor General would wish to investigate. The note we have on staffing...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (18 Feb 2015)

Michael McGrath: There has been a significant fall off in activity by the Comptroller and Auditor General in terms of special reports. Will the Minister put on record the number of reports for each year, specifying if they are special reports and-----

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (18 Feb 2015)

Michael McGrath: Does the Comptroller and Auditor General wish to conduct a report into that number of matters?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (18 Feb 2015)

Michael McGrath: The facts are alarming. I agree with the Minister that the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General is under-resourced and the drop-off in activity from the 55 reports published in 2009 to 25 reports published last year, a reduction of more than 50%, is worrying and is due presumably in the main to a lack of resources. Clearly that will have implications in terms of governance and...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (18 Feb 2015)

Michael McGrath: How often is periodically?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (18 Feb 2015)

Michael McGrath: In regard to Revenue, the stand-out issue, as far as I can see, is the addition of 80 compliance and international tax staff and the recruitment of full-time staff for local property tax work. I am particularly interested in the issue of international tax and the additional staff that are being recruited there to deal with compliance. Could the Minster provide us with more detail on exactly...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (18 Feb 2015)

Michael McGrath: Will the additional people joining this area within Revenue be dealing with the European Commission investigation into Apple?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (18 Feb 2015)

Michael McGrath: Has there been any indication from the Commission as to when there will be a decision on the investigation?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (18 Feb 2015)

Michael McGrath: The Minister said recently he was confident that the investigation would be dropped; is he still confident of that position based on the interaction his Department has had with the European Commission?