Results 28,921-28,940 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (5 Mar 2008)

Richard Bruton: Question 263: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will outline in respect of each unit and agency listed for decentralisation, the property acquisitions that they have made including their location, size and cost, the number of staff that have moved to the proposed location for decentralisation, the number of staff who have been assigned for a move to the new...

Written Answers — Public Order Offences: Public Order Offences (5 Mar 2008)

Richard Bruton: Question 298: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to recent reports that fines issued for drinking in public places have in the majority of cases not been pursued and even in the tiny number of cases where that have been pursued to court, the fine collected was extremely small and would not represent a deterrent; his proposals to take...

Written Answers — Building Regulations: Building Regulations (5 Mar 2008)

Richard Bruton: Question 313: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has conducted an investigation into the use of pyrite in construction here; if a ban has been in place on the use of this material as is the case in countries such as Canada; if he has satisfied himself that possible sources of this material have been properly identified in order that this material...

Finance Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (5 Mar 2008)

Richard Bruton: I move amendment No. 9: On page 16, between lines 21 and 22, to insert the following: 11.—Section 477 (1)(a) of the Principal Act shall be amended by deleting "€400" and substituting "whatever charge has been levied by the relevant authority in the year of assessment". This is to remove the ceiling from the amount of tax relief available on bin charges. We are promoting a much more...

Finance Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (5 Mar 2008)

Richard Bruton: If the Tánaiste introduced it with the ten local authorities, I imagine the other 390 providers would move quickly to come up with systems under which their clients could access the same facilities. One would find that the ingenuity of the marketplace would respond to the Tánaiste's initiative if he started with the ten local authorities and invited the others to come up with schemes...

Finance Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (5 Mar 2008)

Richard Bruton: How about starting with the ten local authorities?

Finance Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (5 Mar 2008)

Richard Bruton: I move amendment No. 15: In page 17, between lines 29 and 30, to insert the following: 14.—The Principal Act is amended in Section 779 by inserting the following new subsection: "(3) A person, none of whose taxable income is chargeable at the higher rate, who makes a pension contribution within the limit set out in this section, shall be entitled to receive a tax credit contributed to the...

Finance Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (5 Mar 2008)

Richard Bruton: Mine is a much more conservative, measured and limited scheme that would only apply up to the relevant ceilings of the income tax code for those whose income is not taxed at the 41% rate. While we had a thorough airing of the matter, we ought to do this. As I said in our discussion on the annuity reform, it is important to start the process of reform. The Tánaiste seems to be of the...

Finance Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (5 Mar 2008)

Richard Bruton: Does the Minister agree to my excellent amendment?

Finance Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (5 Mar 2008)

Richard Bruton: He could nod it quickly through.

Finance Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (5 Mar 2008)

Richard Bruton: I move amendment No. 5: In page 15, line 30, to delete "€2,000" and substitute "€3,000". This amendment relates to the amount of relief available for tenants in the private rented sector. We must rethink our approach in this area. Most people have the ambition to purchase their own home; that is long ingrained in our psyche. There is nothing wrong with this and we rightly support it in...

Finance Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (5 Mar 2008)

Richard Bruton: I am disappointed the Minister has not really engaged in the debate on whether we are treating people fairly. He has read out his brief, which I could have written myself. The more interesting question is what the Minister for Finance thinks of the way we treat people who are in the private rented sector. I do not know if it is different in Offaly but most disadvantaged people who are...

Finance Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (5 Mar 2008)

Richard Bruton: I move amendment No. 7: In page 16, between lines 2 and 3, to insert the following: 8.—Part 30 of the Principal Act shall be amended by inserting a new section: "785.—A person who reaches retirement under a Defined Contribution Pension Scheme shall from 1st March 2008 not be required to purchase an annuity unless they do not have an income equivalent to the Non-Contributory Old Age...

Finance Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (5 Mar 2008)

Richard Bruton: I accept that there are complexities involved and that people can make bad investment decisions or that things could go wrong. However, they should be given a choice. Why are the self-employed given a choice — clearly, people value that choice — while PAYE employees are not? This smacks of some form of paternalism, particularly when one considers that the annuity relating to some funds...

Finance Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (5 Mar 2008)

Richard Bruton: To quote Mao Tse-Tung, the journey of 1,000 miles starts with the first step. This first step could be useful. I accept the Minister's good faith in presenting it. This is a complex issue and there are major questions of equal treatment for those who have defined benefits as we do, those who have had tax relief on large incomes over a long time and have accumulated significant funds...

Finance Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (5 Mar 2008)

Richard Bruton: Yes but why say to whoever it is——

Finance Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (5 Mar 2008)

Richard Bruton: All these people have certain insights.

Finance Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (5 Mar 2008)

Richard Bruton: If one stands at the edge of the sea waiting to decide whether to put one's toe in the water one might freeze to death because one never got in. One will never get to the other side if one never puts one's toe in the water. One can never have all the certainty one wants in this life.

Finance Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (5 Mar 2008)

Richard Bruton: The Minister has a massive matrix that he wants to fill out in his own mind about all the complex players on pensions, with 40,000 columns in one direction and 40,000 rows in the other.

Finance Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (5 Mar 2008)

Richard Bruton: When he sees all the little lights shining he will move. The Minister should take his courage in his hands. This is something he can do that will have a positive effect for 30,000, 40,000 or 50,000 people who will retire in the next year. It will not cost anything but will give people flexibility and choice, the ability to make decisions for themselves and it will be seen as a progressive...