Results 201-220 of 34,411 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2025: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I will briefly recap why, because I think it is important to be clear about this. The way I would have understood a tax increase is that there will be a decrease in people's take-home pay as a result of different changes that are being made. We expect to see incomes grow within our economy next year. We expect that, as a result of incomes growing by and large, people's after-tax income...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2025: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: In a clarification on that, I was present with the Tánaiste when he made statements like that. Of course, I have made statements like that myself in the past but what the Tánaiste and I went on to say in the general election campaign, too, is that we would never make choices that would endanger our public finances. My hierarchy has always been, in every budget I have done, first...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2025: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: We have already seen the debate, which will continue within this, regarding the scale of the budget as it is and how big it is. Both the Tánaiste and I were very clear in many of the debates that our first priority was always the safety of our public finances. My view and that of the Government is that if we had brought forward a budget that increased capital spending by the scale in...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2025: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: Before I deal with the latter part of Deputy Timmins's question, I acknowledge that he has made the case to me, both privately and publicly, for continued indexation of our personal tax code. He has made the case for that and I recognise it. In relation to his question on integration between the USC and income tax, I think there would be difficulties with regard to that. If we were to do...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2025: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes, I will come in to respond briefly on that. First, at least the proposals my party brought forward during the election campaign were based on the premise of indexation and the need to do that. Again and again in the election campaign I made clear that I would never do anything that would cause what I believe would be a risk to our public finances. That has always been my starting point...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2025: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for bringing this forward. Before I deal with the amendment itself, I want to put on the record of the committee the changes that have been made with regard to personal taxation over recent years. Looking at where we were in budget 2021, the entry point to the higher rate of income tax was €35,300. In budget 2025, it now stands at €44,000 for a single...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2025: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: Am I speaking to all of the amendments or to the ones brought forward by Deputy Doherty? Just in the interest of focusing my comments, that is all.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2025: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I am in your hands. I just want to do justice to the different amendments, that is all.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2025: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: Just on the rent tax credits.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2025: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: That is fine. On the rent tax credits, first, Deputies Doherty and Farrell are requesting a report on the rent tax credit operating in the absence of a cap on rents, making a direct comparison between the amount of the credit and rent increases. They are therefore suggesting, as has just been done, that the rent tax credit should be complemented by rent caps. However, there are currently...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2025: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputies for their contributions. First, I will deal with the relationship between the credits that are available for landlords and for renters. The landlord-related measure stood at €600 in 2024. At the same time, the rent tax credit stood at €1,000. The rent tax credit was not changed in this year’s budget, but in previous budgets it was doubled. In...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2025: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: Before I respond to the substance of the Deputy's amendment I acknowledge the important point he has made, which is on my mind and needs discussion, regarding if and when we go back to personal tax changes based on indexation. The reality I have grappled with is that even when you do that it means there are workers in our economy who will not see much of a change in their after-tax income....

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2025: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the two Deputies for their contribution. To deal with the issue regarding the role of refundable tax credits, I will inform it by some examples. If you are a married couple on a gross income within our country of €30,000, the amount of income tax you will be paying on that is zero. Therefore, a married couple on €30,000 are not paying any income tax on their income...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2025: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: Deputy Doherty is signalling to speak.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2025: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I was not suggesting that.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2025: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I will certainly take that matter away and examine it further. I understand the point the Deputy is making regarding the costs for somebody who is accessing the healthcare they need and the fact that support is available through our tax code, but not if someone is not paying tax, which is the nub of the Deputy's point. I understand that and I will take it away. In relation to Deputy Cian...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2025: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I acknowledge the growing interest that there is in this policy area. Deputy Nash has requested to have a report on proposals to amend the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 to facilitate the establishment of a greater number of employee share ownership trusts and their smooth and efficient functioning. As Deputies may be aware, an independent review of share-based remuneration carried out by...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2025: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I take the Deputy's points. This is something I can see the growing interest in. Deputy Nash's colleague, Deputy Lawlor, has approached me about it and indicated the interest that he and others have in it. I can see the role it could play. I can see how we are relatively underdeveloped versus the UK. I am aware of the other ownership structures that exist elsewhere within Europe. My...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2025: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: On the procedural point, that is a decision made by the Bills Office.