Results 29,121-29,140 of 35,924 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: While I understand the Minister's point, the intention of a scheme and its application are sometimes two very different stories.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: I am concerned that people may abuse the scheme for the wrong reasons. I continue to oppose the section because I do not know what the Minister has in mind in this regard. Will a person who moves out of a house for six months to live in private rental accommodation fulfil the criterion that his or her home has not been in use as a dwelling immediately prior to the conversion? In such...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: I appreciate that. The scheme is being expanded in two ways - geographic location and qualifying criteria - which could give rise to loopholes in the scheme. Nobody knows yet if there are loopholes but there will be a lot of wealthy accountants and professionals who will try to find ways around it. A pilot scheme should be narrow to allow us to test the waters, identify loopholes and fix...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: My views on this initiative are well known as I spoke about it on Second Stage and at length on Committee Stage of last year's Finance Bill. I am concerned that the Minister is extending a scheme which is not up and running. It is not that there has been no take-up, as Deputy Timmins mentioned. There cannot be a take-up because we have not given effect to the scheme in last year's Finance...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: Not in respect of medical cards.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: The Minister has just introduced it for-----

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: The Minister has made the claim that some of the over-70s in receipt of medical cards are wealthy millionaires and that this should not be accepted. We should have a universal health care system. If there are wealthy individuals over the age of 70 years, we should deal with their income through proper taxation measures. The Minister disagrees with the principle of the most wealthy in...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: That dramatic move cost the State approximately €50 million, but the Government introduced another measure that recouped that amount. I am referring to the case of an employee employed by two employers or the like. While the affected individuals saw some value, there would be more substantive value in bringing those earning the minimum wage out of the USC net. The Minister is right,...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: We have also published legislation on this issue. The amendment would remove them from the universal social charge, USC, tax net and it is an appropriate measure. If it were passed it would come at a cost of €94 million and would affect 296,000 people, based on the figures I obtained from the Department. Those earning the minimum wage and below as their weekly income would have this...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: The Minister mentioned exempting those earning below the minimum wage from the USC tax net would have the effect of reversing the intention of the USC, which was to broaden the tax base, and also mentioned that the principle of the charge is that everybody should pay something regardless of how small. However, he acknowledged the measure he brought forward removed 300,000 people from the tax...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: I did not expect the Minister to accept the amendment. However, it was worth putting it on the record that it can be raised but not to the 8 percentage points suggested by the Minister. We got a good glimpse of behaviour of account holders in this State during the Ulster Bank fiasco when normal banking services for a number of its 1 million customers in this State were shut down yet few...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: The timescale concerned is only three years. There will be people who are able to leave a proportion of money on deposit for three years. The timescale in respect of the An Post product is three years and for Childcare Plus is five years at an interest of 14% tax free and for the Instalment Savings Plan is five years, with, again, a 14% interest rate tax free. There products are more...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: No planned change in respect of DIRT or the interest rate.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: I move amendment No. 62: In page 48, between lines 36 and 37, to insert the following: “27. The Principal Act is amended by: (a) In section 531AM(2) by substituting “€17,542” for “€4,004”. (b) In section 531AN(4) to be read as follows: “(4) Subsections (2) and (3) shall cease to have effect for the tax year 2015 and subsequent tax...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: My amendment has been ruled out of order. It is important that the Minister examine the base year for research and development tax credits. It is ten years old and from next year it will be over ten years old. We have companies returning to records in excess of a decade old. I was of the view that the Minister intended to do this and hoped he would signal it in this Bill. I do not see it...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: My amendment has been ruled out of order and I speak on the section. We provided the Minister with our submission during the consultation process. We say it will be phased out. It was difficult to hear some of the Minister's contribution there but I will move on. I press that we would take this on board, but I do not oppose the section.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: I move amendment No. 60:In page 39, line 19, to delete “41 per cent” and substitute “36 per cent”.I apologise for my cough, which, I hope, will clear up as the day goes on. This amendment replaces the intended increase in DIRT, which the Minister intends to increase to 41% and applies a more modest increase to 36%. While the banks may be in a better position in...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Central Bank of Ireland Expenditure (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: 40. To ask the Minister for Finance the total number of contracts and their total financial cost awarded by the Central Bank to companies (details supplied) in each of the years 2008 to 2012, inclusive, and to date in 2013 or whatever years practicable; if all the contracts were winning public tenders; and if he will provide a breakdown of the contracts by date, purpose and individual value....

Written Answers — Department of Finance: National Treasury Management Agency Expenditure (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: 41. To ask the Minister for Finance the total number of contracts and their total financial cost awarded by the National Treasury Management Agency to companies (details supplied) in each of the years 2008 to 2012, inclusive, and to date in 2013 or whatever years practicable; if all the contracts were winning public tenders; and if he will provide a breakdown of the contracts by date, purpose...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (27 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: 73. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of contracts and their total financial cost awarded to a company (details supplied) by his Department in each of the years 2008 to 2012, inclusive, and to date in 2013 or whatever years practicable; if all the contracts were winning public tenders; and if he will provide a breakdown of the contracts by date, purpose and...