Results 20,541-20,560 of 26,960 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Other Questions: Property Taxation Administration (16 Jan 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: My question was what oversight mechanisms has the Minister for Finance put in place to ensure the prudent expenditure of the income from the local property tax in relation to Irish Water. That question was submitted prior to the breaking of the scandal in relation to Irish Water. It is a question which the Minister and his Government colleagues have failed to respond to for the past year...

Other Questions: Property Taxation Administration (16 Jan 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: He does not micro-manage things.

Other Questions: Property Taxation Administration (16 Jan 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Some €80 million of that amount is being spent on consultants.

Other Questions: Real Estate Investment Trusts (16 Jan 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: It is just speculation.

Other Questions: Property Taxation Administration (16 Jan 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 7. To ask the Minister for Finance the amount raised from the local property tax for 2013; the amount paid into the Local Government Fund; the amount allocated to Irish Water; if he will provide some estimates for 2014 and the oversight mechanisms that have been put in place to ensure prudent use of these funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1653/14]

Other Questions: Property Taxation Administration (16 Jan 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The local property tax is the Minister's tax. When it was first introduced in order to neutralise opposition to it, he said all the money was going to local services. Last autumn, we discovered that all the money was going to Irish Water. In recent weeks we have discovered that a huge amount of that money is going to line the pockets of consultants. Can the Minister get his story any...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Budget 2014 (16 Jan 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 19. To ask the Minister for Finance in view of recent ESRI analysis of budget 2014, which stated that the budget hit the lowest income bracket hardest, if he intends remedial measures or adjustments to the budget to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1656/14]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Economic Policy (16 Jan 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 29. To ask the Minister for Finance in view of the recent acknowledgement to the EU Parliament in responses to its questionnaire on the troika programme that the lowest income bracket had been disproportionately affected by austerity measures under the programme, the policy measures he proposes to address this unfairness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1655/14]

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2014
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) (15 Jan 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: On that issue, we will agree to disagree. I strongly disagree with the Minister. I merely wanted to say that.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2014
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) (15 Jan 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I am merely stating for the record I disagree with the Minister. I do not accept his explanation. On the corporate tax advice the Minister is seeking, from whom is he seeking it?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2014
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) (15 Jan 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Has the Minister identified some of it?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2014
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) (15 Jan 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: That is why we should employ somebody.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2014
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) (15 Jan 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: In respect of the programmes to which the Chairman has referred, head E is not so bad but there is very significant expenditure under heads C and D on what would appear to be consultant economists, that is, economic experts. While I made this point under a previous head, it repeats itself again here and in his response, the Minister did not really address it. I accept these are important...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2014
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) (15 Jan 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I am dealing with this head.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2014
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) (15 Jan 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I have not got an answer.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2014
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) (15 Jan 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: As I hear the Minister's explanation and I look at this sub-head I am not happy with his explanation. It is not satisfactory and it does not satisfactorily explain the allocation of €6.5 million for consultants. To put it in context, if he were to employ full-time economists at €100,000 a year he could get 65 of them. He would not need 65; the expertise of many of them would...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2014
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) (15 Jan 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I wish to ask the Minister about subhead B4, consultancy and other services. The outturn for 2013 was €3.5 million, yet the Estimate allowed for this year is €6.5 million. That seems like a huge amount of money for consultancy and seems even larger and more significant against a background in which the Minister required only half of that in the previous year. I accept that...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2014
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) (15 Jan 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I would have the same concerns about the consultancy issue under subhead A but I note from the interesting pie charts that there is a pattern with regard to consultants across all of them.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2014
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) (15 Jan 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Minister said that there is insufficient in-house expertise in particular areas because of policy issues or priorities that arise and that there is a need to obtain external expertise. From these pie charts it seems that the proportion is very significant. Under the subhead with which we are dealing, the figure is 19%; under subhead B the figure is an incredible 59% for consultancy and...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Estimates for Public Services 2014
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) (15 Jan 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: In instancing those figures, they involve a good deal of money.