Results 21,341-21,360 of 32,864 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Mortgage Interest Rates (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I have been advised by the Central Bank of Ireland (Central Bank) that it does not have a statutory role to prescribe the rates that mortgage lenders charge on their loans. A healthy commercial banking system that is in a position to provide finance to customers and is resilient to economic and financial market shocks, needs to be able to generate sustainable profits over the long term...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Property Tax Assessments (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Local Property Tax (LPT) is payable on the market value of residential properties at 1 May 2013. The 2013 valuation is relevant until the next LPT ‘valuation date’, which is 1 November 2019 and is unaffected by any changes in property prices or any repairs/alterations that take place to the property during this period. Revenue has confirmed that the person in question filed her...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: State Claims Agency (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) has informed me that it operates a discretionary performance-related payments scheme for eligible employees, which includes staff assigned to the State Claims Agency. The scheme rewards exceptional performance having regard to the employee’s own performance, the performance of the employee’s area of responsibility and the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Brexit Issues (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The precise customs arrangements that will apply after Brexit will depend on the outcome of negotiations between the EU and UK. Evidently the closest trading relationship between the UK and EU is best for Ireland. Ireland’s position is that a future EU-UK Free Trade Agreement should be comprehensive and ambitious and as wide as possible in its scope, while ensuring a level playing...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Freedom of Information Data (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Department of Finance received 383 Freedom of Information requests in 2017 up to 1 December 2017. 334 have been closed, of which: - 63 were granted in full, - 120 were part granted, - 82 were refused (including refused on the basis that no relevant records were identified), - 43 were withdrawn or handled outside FoI, and - 26 were transferred. 49 requests are currently open...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Freedom of Information Data (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Department of Finance received 383 Freedom of Information requests in 2017 up to 1 December 2017. 334 have been closed, of which:- - 259 were completed within the due date, taking account of suspension of the period of consideration for payment of deposits, third party consultation, or clarification of scope - 75 were completed outside the due date

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Public Private Partnerships Cost (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Department of Finance has no public private partnership projects and is not responsible for Government public private partnership policy.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs Eligibility (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I am informed by Revenue that section 473A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 provides for tax relief at the standard rate of income tax in respect of qualifying fees paid by an individual for a third level education course, including a postgraduate course. For all years, the colleges must have complied with a Code of Standards laid down by the Minister for Education and Skills and the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Personal Insolvency Arrangements (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 148 together. Revenue has advised me that its clear preference is always to engage positively with insolvent individuals who enter into Personal Insolvency or Debt Settlement arrangements and has to date agreed terms in more than five hundred cases since the Personal Insolvency Act was enacted. However Revenue can only "opt in" to the process...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Help-To-Buy Scheme Eligibility (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that as it is unclear on whose behalf the Deputy raised this question and having regard to confidentiality obligations under section 851A of the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997, Revenue is unable to comment on the specific case referred to by the Deputy. In general, for a property to be a qualifying residence for the purposes of the Help to Buy Scheme, that property...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: VAT Rate Application (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Programme for Partnership Government recognises the difficulties faced by community groups in relation to VAT rates on certain products such as defibrillators. This is an EU competency and the Government has committed to work with our EU counterparts in seeking to reform this area. Defibrillators, other than implantable defibrillators, are liable to VAT at the standard rate, which in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Private Partnerships (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The recent Public Investment Management Assessment (PIMA) for Ireland carried out by the IMF recommended that the results of cost-benefit analysis on Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects, and the criteria used to select them should be published. As the Deputy will be aware PPPs are subjected to the same robust and rigorous project appraisal process as traditionally procured...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Spending Code (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Public Investment Management Assessment (PIMA) undertaken for Ireland by the IMF was published on 10 November 2017. The report and its recommendations are the work of expert team from the IMF invited to assess our public investment institutions to evaluate the design and effectiveness of the institutions that shape decision-making at the three key stages of the public...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Investment Plan (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The ten year capital plan will be published in tandem with the forthcoming Ireland 2040 Plan detailing the new National Planning Framework, which is being developed by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. I understand that publication of the Ireland 2040 Plan is envisaged early next year. The main priorities for infrastructural development were identified in the Review...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: My Department has not provided funding from its Vote to any of the organisations on the list which the Deputy supplied.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Budget 2018 estimate of the public service pay bill is €17.4bn. This includes the 2018 cost of the Public Service Stability Agreement. The costs of the PSSA in subsequent years are: - 2019 - €370m - 2020 - €339m There are carryover costs associated with the Agreement of €227m in 2021. However, the actual level of the public service pay bill for the years 2021...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Standards Commissioner (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Public Sector Standards Bill 2015 provides for the establishment of the Office of the Public Sector Standards Commissioner and the holder of that office shall be known as the Public Sector Standards Commissioner. It provides that the appointment of the Commissioner shall be made by the President on the advice of the Government following a resolution passed by both Houses. It...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service Staff Data (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: As requested by the Deputy, the number of full-time equivalents (FTEs) in general Civil Service grades at the end of September 2017 (latest reconciled numbers) are set out in the followed table. GRADE NUMBERS Secretary General 28 Deputy Secretary 12 Assistant Secretary General 142 Principal Officer 771 Assistant Principal 2,238 Administrative Officer  642 Higher Executive...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service Staff Data (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The number of full-time equivalents in general Civil Service grades at the end of September 2017 (latest reconciled numbers) are set out in the following table. GRADE NUMBERS Secretary General 28 Deputy Secretary 12 Assistant Secretary General 142 Principal Officer 771 Assistant Principal 2,238 Administrative Officer 642 Higher Executive Officer 4,364 Executive Officer (Including...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Data (5 Dec 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 169 and 170 together. My Department received 227 requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2014 from 1 January 2017 to 1 December 2017.Of these, 142 requests were fully or partially granted, with 25 being refused. The remainder of the requests include requests that are not yet due for answer, have been withdrawn by the requester and...