Results 23,361-23,380 of 32,961 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Official Engagements (11 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: My predecessor as Minister for Finance, Mr Michael Noonan T.D., had planned to meet with US Treasury Secretary Mnuchin in April 2017 during his visit to Washington, D.C. for the Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund. Unfortunately, it was not possible to schedule a bilateral meeting with Secretary Mnuchin on that occasion. In my new role as Minister...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Help-To-Buy Scheme Administration (11 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, the purpose of the Help to Buy (HTB) incentive is to help first-time buyers fund their first home, whether purchased from a builder or self-built. The legislative provisions for HTB are set out in Section 477C Taxes Consolidation Act 1997. Those provisions include the following: - the obligation on contractors that receive a payment in respect of a claimant...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Expenditure (11 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The total costs for my department, and the details of the events, campaigns, or policies to which the expenditure related are outlined in a table: Photography Year Supplier Expenditure € Event, Campaign, or Policy 2017 Sherwood photography 758 Department of Finance graduation ceremony for in-house Diplomas and the Refund of Fees attended by Minister Noonan 2016 Brendan Lyon...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (11 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: As outlined in Budget 2017, it is intended to introduce a tax on sugar sweetened drinks in April 2018, which will coincide with the introduction of a similar tax in the UK. A public consultation process opened on Budget night seeking the views of interested parties on the make up of the tax which ran until 3rd January 2017. Some 30 submissions were received, all of which are being...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Proposed Legislation (11 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The European Union's cornerstone for financial markets legislation is the Market in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) which provides the framework for investment service providers. The original directive, MiFID I, has been updated and MiFID II was due to be transposed into Irish law by the 3rd of July. MiFID II is voluminous and complex legislation and to date only one Member State...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Proposed Legislation (11 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Directive (EU) 2015/2366 (PSD2) was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 23 December 2015. PSD2 is a maximum harmonisation directive, leaving only a small number of discretions for Member States. The Department of Finance ran a public consultation on those national discretions from June to September last year. That consultation, along with the submissions received...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Pension Provisions (11 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 166 and 167 together. I am advised by Revenue that the commutation of small or trivial pensions is allowable in certain limited circumstances. Where, on retirement and following the payment of any lump sum the total of all funds available for pension benefits is less than €20,000 Revenue will not object to the payment of a once off pension to...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Sale of State Assets (11 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy should be aware that in line with the State agreements with AIB, all fees incurred by the State in relation to an IPO transaction will be paid by the bank. Following a successful transaction, fees are payable to the selling syndicate of investment banks and are proportionate to the value of the transaction. The fees that have been negotiated by my officials are approximately 0.4%...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (11 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: It is assumed that the Deputy is referring to the €1,000 increase in 2017 applicable to public servants on annualised basic salaries up to €65,000 under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2015. This increase which, under FEMPI 2015, is to take effect from 1 September 2017, was advanced to 1 April 2017 for most qualifying public servants. Increases...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (11 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Earlier this year I informed the Government of the new approach that will be taken to review current Departmental expenditure in advance of Budget 2018. Due to the stabilising of the public finances by Government we have moved from a budgetary cycle where cuts had to be made to one where moderate and sustainable expenditure growth is now planned over the medium-term. However, there are...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Regulations (11 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Public Procurement is governed by EU and National rules. The aim of these rules is to promote an open, competitive and non-discriminatory public procurement regime which delivers the best value for money. It would be a breach of the EU rules for a public body to favour particular candidates on grounds such as organisation size, locality, nationality, etc. and there are legal remedies which...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (11 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question no. 31298/17 on 4 July 2017.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Expenses (11 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Travel on official duty is an integral part of the functions carried out by many civil and public servants. As a standard principle, public servants should always strive to use public transport for official travel in the first instance, where suitable. The mileage rates are designed to compensate an officer for the costs incurred in using their own car on official business. The rates are...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (11 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The original spouses’ and children’s pension scheme for the civil service was  put in place by way of SI 132 of 1977  and the revised scheme was put in place by way of circular 16 of 1984 , which has statutory underpinning in the Civil Service Regulation Act 1956.  Under the terms of the scheme, any period of service for which periodic contributions have not been...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Budget 2017 (11 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Page 36 of Expenditure Report 2017 provided an estimate of €473 million in respect of the full-year impact of Budget 2017 current expenditure measures. This has been reproduced in the table.  €m 2018 Additional Impact Social Protection 170 Gross Cost of Social Protection Package Education 98 Funding for new measures Health 97 Existing service...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (11 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 181 and 182 together. The Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020 contains the following pay adjustments: 2018 - 1 January 2018 annualised salaries to increase by 1%; - 1 October 2018 annualised salaries to increase by 1%. 2019 - 1 January 2019 annualised salaries up to €30,000 to increase by 1%; - 1 September annualised salaries to increase by...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (11 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 187 and 188 together. As I have previously indicated, a very significant part-unwinding of the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR) in three stages is taking place under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2015, with PSPR-affected pensioners getting pension increases via substantial restoration of the PSPR cuts on 1 January 2016,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (11 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: All of my Department’s budget is allocated before the start of the year and therefore it has no unallocated spend for 2017. There are currently no programmes due to cease in 2017. Like other Departments, my Department has commenced the 2018 Estimates process and this involves a detailed review of the budget required for next year. Allocations for 2018 will be announced in the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (11 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I have been advised by the Comptroller and Auditor General that the detailed information requested is being collated and will be sent directly to the Deputy by his Office.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (11 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I have been advised by the Comptroller and Auditor General that the detailed information requested is being collated and will be sent directly to the Deputy by his Office.