Results 3,121-3,140 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Commercial Rates Valuation Process (28 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: 269. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of appeals made regarding rateable valuations of commercial property to the Valuation tribunal for each local authority area revalued under the national revaluation programme, in tabular form. [50099/17]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Railway Stations (28 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: 528. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the engagement he has with Irish Rail regarding the construction of the new railway station at Pelletstown on the Maynooth railway line; if Irish Rail is to commence construction of the station; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49862/17]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (28 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: 688. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the supports he has put in place to enable the development of residentially zoned lands in the Dublin 15 area of Fingal County Council to the south of the Dunboyne railway line at Barnhill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49947/17]

Finance Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: As regards the reference by the Minister of State to securitised debt in respect of bonds, I am concerned in regard to financial companies and that, because mortgages are a form of debt, this could facilitate the securitisation of mortgages in a possibly very socially undesirable way. When this was first adopted in America, it led to sub-prime lending. I do not want to go over old ground...

Finance Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: Last year, I asked the Minister whether he would meet Christian Aid and people like Mr. Jim Clarkin, CEO of Oxfam Ireland, and Mr. Sorley McCaughey, who is involved in writing materials on, and is part of many international networks dealing with, the issues in question. 6 o’clock I understand some officials from the Department and possibly the Revenue Commissioners met people from...

Finance Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: I commend Christian Aid and other development agencies such as Trócaire and Oxfam who have been working over a long period to develop tax justice in the developing world. They are working hard to ensure that taxes are collected, particularly in countries that are resource rich and whose main products are exported without processing. In many developing countries, between corruption and...

Finance Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: 5 o’clock I am extremely disappointed at the conservatism, if not cowardice, of the reply of the Minister of State. This is actually a running scandal in the country. If we allow the banks to take us for a ride, then take us for a ride they will. Fine Gael accepted, reluctantly, a bank levy at the request of the Labour Party. That was only because Fine Gael absolutely...

Finance Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: I made the decision in Cabinet.

Finance Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: That was on my proposal.

Finance Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: At least we got the levy.

Finance Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: We also limited very high income earners, and the Minister supported this because his predecessor, Deputy Michael Noonan, supported it on foot of the Labour Party's participation in the last Government. All the Minister has to do is get the banks to pay a minimum effective corporation tax, let us say, for instance, 8%, and then the losses will go forward.

Finance Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: The Minister has to respond to this. He cannot stick his head in the sand and not recognise that fair tax means that those with resources or who are making profits must pay.

Finance Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: We have discussed this several times before with the Minister. I am sorry to say the Government is really cowardly on this issue. To recall the figures for the well-known banking sector, the high street banks, AIB has €3 billion of deferred tax assets. They are called deferred tax assets because they are worth that in terms of AIB being able to reduce its tax bill now that it has...

Finance Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: During the debate on this issue last year, the Minister clearly undertook to close a loophole. He needs to give the House a clear indication of the impact of this proposal will be. Will it result in a gain to the Exchequer and if so, how much and over what period? Alternatively, will it result in a loss to the Exchequer and if so, how much is that loss and over what period? It is...

Finance Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: Dealing with shares in a company rather than dealing with the properties themselves is probably one of the best-known mechanisms for arranging tax affairs and mitigating tax in respect of tax schemes. Will the Minister clarify whether he or his officials made an estimate as to what is the likely gain or loss to the Exchequer and over what period or whether it is neutral to the Exchequer? If...

Finance Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: I welcome the establishment of the review group. Presumably it will take some time to do its work. Charges on savings products including life assurance are very high in Ireland. Early on in my time as Minister for Social Protection, I commissioned a study on costs of investment products in respect of people saving for pensions. Compared with other European countries, our costs can be...

Finance Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: I support the amendment, which makes sense. It is a feature of both Committee and Report Stage amendments that reports are called for to get information. If the Department was better organised, frankly, it would not be contentious and it would form the basis of people being able to make intelligent decisions. I confess to being one of those mostly women who some years ago switched to a...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Staff Recruitment (22 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: I often found myself the only women. It is a little bit lonely.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Staff Recruitment (22 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: A follow-up?

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Staff Recruitment (22 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: Will the Taoiseach outline the gender breakdown at senior level in his Department? When I served as Tánaiste I was quite shocked to find that there were relatively few women at senior level - above assistant and principal officer level - in the Department of the Taoiseach. Given that the Taoiseach is the lead Minister, as it were, in the Department and has spoken of his desire to see...