Results 301-320 of 33,829 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Trade Agreements (8 Sep 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 583 and 584 together. I am advised that the European Commission has on 3 September presented its final package on the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement (EMPA). This package includes the consolidated text of the original agreement negotiated in 2019 and the additional legal instrument addressing trade and sustainability commitments which was agreed last...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Data (8 Sep 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that traders are not required to identify the VAT yield generated from the supply of specific goods and services on their VAT returns. Therefore, it is not possible to provide estimates of VAT reductions on electricity based on tax returns alone. However, using third-party household expenditure data and recent population figures, a tentative estimate of the VAT...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Exemptions (8 Sep 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy is aware the current thresholds for the income tax age exemption are €18,000 per annum where an individual is aged 65 years or over, and €36,000 per annum for married couples and civil partners, jointly assessed to tax, where either individual is aged 65 or over. The relevant income thresholds may be increased further if the individual has a qualifying child....

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Economic Policy (8 Sep 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: Ireland possesses a high savings deposit rate which reflects the success of our economy for our citizens in recent years. These savings could provide greater returns for individual citizens and the wider economy if they were invested. However, Ireland does not yet have a diversified savings and investment culture, as a large amount of private savings are still held in low-yielding bank...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Irish Stock Exchange (8 Sep 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy should note that as part of Government efforts to boost equity financing, particularly by SME's and start-ups, in his Budget 2025 speech Minister Chambers announced that the Department of Finance will, subject to State Aid considerations, introduce a Stamp Duty exemption to enable Irish SMEs to access equity via financial trading platforms designed to support their funding needs. ...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Exemptions (8 Sep 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that an increase in the Small Gift Exemption could not be costed as it is not possible to forecast the number of people who would avail of or benefit from the increased level of the exemption, and to what amount.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Rental Sector (8 Sep 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 591 and 592 together. Rent-a-Room relief, which is provided for in section 216A Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (TCA), was introduced in 2001 with the aim of increasing the availability of rented residential accommodation. The relief acts as an incentive to encourage individuals to let rooms in their principal private residence as residential accommodation in...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Exemptions (8 Sep 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012 (as amended) provides for an exemption from Local Property Tax (LPT) for properties that have been purchased, adapted or built for use by an incapacitated person, subject to the qualifying conditions for the relief. The exemption will only apply where the cost of the adaptations exceeds 25% of the market value of the property before it was adapted....

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Aviation Industry (8 Sep 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The aircraft leasing sector continues to make a significant contribution to the Irish economy, providing high-quality employment and wages while supporting tax revenues. According to a recent publication by the Central Statistics Office, employment in the sector has increased by around 7 per cent between 2019 and 2024. Approximately 3,000 people were employed in the sector last year. ...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Animal Breeding (8 Sep 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The introduction of NACE codes is not a matter for my department. NACE codes are agreed at EU level through the statistical body Eurostat. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) represents Ireland in these discussions. As the CSO is a body under the aegis of Department of An Taoiseach, questions regarding NACE codes should be directed to that department.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Clearance Certificates (8 Sep 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: A Tax Clearance Certificate is confirmation from Revenue that an applicant's tax affairs are in order. However, Revenue may issue a Tax Clearance Certificate to a customer who has tax arrears where the arrears are covered by an instalment arrangement. As such, tax clearance is required for various purposes, such as renewal of a variety of licences and permits, public sector contracts,...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: State Savings Schemes (8 Sep 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: Discussions around encouraging citizens to invest more have been a large part of the Savings and Investments Union (SIU). The central thrust of the Savings and Investments Union (SIU) project is to help citizens to invest more so as to increase the amount of money they have in their retirement and to use the invested money to grow businesses bringing more growth to the economy. In March, the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs (8 Sep 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government, Securing Ireland’s Future, includes a commitment to “consider measures, in conjunction with the Department of Finance, to encourage gym membership and active participation in sport and exercise.” Officials in my Department considered the matter as part of the annual Tax Strategy Group process in July this...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Exemptions (8 Sep 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy should note that as part of government efforts to boost equity financing, particularly by SME's and start-ups, in his Budget 2025 speech Minister Chambers announced that the Department of Finance will, subject to State Aid considerations, introduce a Stamp Duty exemption to enable Irish SMEs to access equity via financial trading platforms designed to support their funding needs. ...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Central Bank of Ireland (8 Sep 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: On the morning of 01 September I received a letter from the Governor of the Central Bank informing me that the Central Bank's approval of the 2024 Prospectus had expired. The letter further informed me that the competent authority of Luxembourg, the "CSSF", had approved a new prospectus for the State of Israel. The approval of a prospectus document is subject to the requirements of the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Electric Vehicles (29 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The Finance Act 1992 introduced, from 1 January 1993, Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) on the registration of a vehicle and the legislation sets out how the tax is assessed and calculated. Under the law, the method for calculating VRT is based on the category of vehicle involved. VRT on Category A vehicles (passenger cars) is based on the vehicle’s value and its emissions level,...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Data (29 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 612, 718, 719 and 768 together. The Deputy refers to the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on 23 July 2025, as well as a statement from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres concerning climate change. Ireland was proud to support the call for this advisory opinion at the UN General Assembly in 2023, along with many other States....

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Data (29 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The Vacant Homes Tax (VHT) was announced in Budget 2023 and legislated for in Finance Act 2022. The main objective of this tax is to increase the supply of homes for rent or purchase by encouraging the owners of vacant, habitable, residential properties to bring those properties back into use. A residential property will be within the scope of the tax if it has been occupied as a dwelling for...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs (29 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The Help to Buy (HTB) incentive, is a scheme to assist first-time purchasers with the deposit they need to buy or build a new house or apartment. An increase in the supply of new housing remains a central and priority aim of Government policy. For this reason, HTB is specifically designed to encourage an increase in demand for new build homes in order to support the construction of an...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Rebates (29 Jul 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: Excise duty on alcohol is governed by EU law, with which Irish excise law is obliged to conform. The “Alcohol Structures Directive” (Council Directive 92/83/EEC) lays down a harmonised approach to excise duties on alcohol in the EU. It defines alcoholic beverages and sets out the basis on which excise duties on such products are to be established by Member States as well as the...