Results 20,701-20,720 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Appeals (19 Nov 2014)
Michael McGrath: 40. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an illness benefit review/appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [44420/14]
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (18 Nov 2014)
Michael McGrath: I believe this matter is dealt with in section 11(g). However, I seek to clarify that there is no element of double relief here for a landlord. They cannot get other tax reliefs from that investment by way of capital allowances or any other tax relief. However, if my reading of section 11(g) is correct, I believe this matter has been dealt with.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (18 Nov 2014)
Michael McGrath: That is my question, namely, are they getting double relief on it?
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (18 Nov 2014)
Michael McGrath: As a principle, I would suggest there should not be double relief on one item of expenditure. The Minister might have a look at this issue.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (18 Nov 2014)
Michael McGrath: I support section 8, because we all know there is spare capacity in cities where there are many empty rooms. It has been a reasonably successful initiative and increasing it to €12,000 is simple and understandable. It is €1,000 a month. It cannot do any harm, so I support it.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (18 Nov 2014)
Michael McGrath: The issue I have is regarding the distribution of the benefit of the Minister's tax package. He has put forward a definition in terms of people in the middle income bracket. The reality is that an individual earning €32,000 a year - who falls just below the threshold at which one enters the higher rate - would only benefit from the USC changes. That individual would benefit to the...
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (18 Nov 2014)
Michael McGrath: What is published in the budget booklet is helpful in so far as it goes but it is not the complete picture. Not only does it take into account all the expenditure adjustments but it takes into account some of them on the social welfare side. As the Minister indicated, child benefit is included in the eight examples given this year but it does not take into account measures that are...
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (18 Nov 2014)
Michael McGrath: Deputy Doherty has made the case very well. In recent years, although not so much this year given the nature of the fiscal position going into the budget, very often the sting in the tail of the budget was in the detailed measures announced by line Ministers on the expenditure side on budget day or in the days after the budget. A budget must be assessed in the round and in totality so it is...
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (18 Nov 2014)
Michael McGrath: I assume it was not deliberate, but the Minister is missing the point I am making. This was not in response to me asking for costings of various proposals. This was similar to the response we received to parliamentary questions we submitted, that when we were seeking to establish----
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (18 Nov 2014)
Michael McGrath: Yes, 12 days.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (18 Nov 2014)
Michael McGrath: It did not swing that much.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (18 Nov 2014)
Michael McGrath: I was deliberately cautious.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (18 Nov 2014)
Michael McGrath: I wish to make a few points about section 2. We will come to the income tax side - the band and the rate reduction - in a moment, but section 2 relates to the USC. Given the way in which this budget was approached and the lack of information that we had as an Opposition party, no one could have foreseen that the Government would have had the resources to introduce a €642 million...
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (18 Nov 2014)
Michael McGrath: That was clear.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (18 Nov 2014)
Michael McGrath: I think it was 2.4%.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (18 Nov 2014)
Michael McGrath: The Minister did not know it would be 4.7% at that stage?
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (18 Nov 2014)
Michael McGrath: I accept that.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (18 Nov 2014)
Michael McGrath: All of the submissions had been made by that stage. It was too late. Fair enough, the White Paper was published before the budget, but that was after every submission had been made. The Minister knows that.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (18 Nov 2014)
Michael McGrath: Through the Chair, I did not accuse the Minister or anyone of misleading me. I am just laying out the facts.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (18 Nov 2014)
Michael McGrath: I have a letter dated 2 October, some 12 days before the budget.