Results 321-340 of 2,691 for speaker:Tim Lombard

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Commercial Rates (9 May 2024)

Tim Lombard: The Minister of State is more than welcome and I thank him for coming to the House. This matter is on the need for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to make a statement regarding the application for an exemption from commercial rates for community swimming pool projects. He knows where I am from. Cork South-West has a beautiful coastline. The need for our people to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Commercial Rates (9 May 2024)

Tim Lombard: I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response regarding the process we must go through to try to ensure common sense prevails when it comes to this issue. That is what we are trying to do here. Common sense must prevail when we are looking at a community-run project of this nature that has such a benefit to the entire community. The way swimming pools are rated is an issue...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 May 2024)

Tim Lombard: I thought the Cathaoirleach had forgotten me. I would like to raise an issue that he is very much aware of and I am sure the Acting Leader is very much aware of, which is the unbelievable scenario we have with GAAGO, which is having a huge impact on how GAA games can be watched throughout the entire country. We have a bizarre scenario whereby, of the four Cork hurling matches in this year's...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 May 2024)

Tim Lombard: I think that would be appropriate in light of where we are with this paywall.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: VAT Refunds to Unregistered Farmers: Revenue Commissioners (8 May 2024)

Tim Lombard: It is great to have the Revenue before us. I apologise for being late. I was stuck in a meeting in another Department. Mr. Egan says Revenue has not changed its interpretation of the law of this refund order. That is a very bold statement to make. Does he think it is a fair statement, that the Revenue has not changed its interpretation of issues regarding bull tanks, meal bins, all the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: VAT Refunds to Unregistered Farmers: Revenue Commissioners (8 May 2024)

Tim Lombard: How then can the Revenue make a statement about 10-tonne meal bins and applications it has received? If I were to ask members of the public to write in to me about how many 8-, 9- or 6-tonne bins have been granted, I would say it would be quite significant. Would that not be fair?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: VAT Refunds to Unregistered Farmers: Revenue Commissioners (8 May 2024)

Tim Lombard: That would be a different interpretation of the order.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: VAT Refunds to Unregistered Farmers: Revenue Commissioners (8 May 2024)

Tim Lombard: If there is an order that has been there since before my time-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: VAT Refunds to Unregistered Farmers: Revenue Commissioners (8 May 2024)

Tim Lombard: Since 1972, and if Revenue were granting VAT reclaim on 3.5-tonne meal bins, which I have referred to, in 2002, then surely it is a different interpretation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: VAT Refunds to Unregistered Farmers: Revenue Commissioners (8 May 2024)

Tim Lombard: There is assessment by the Revenue Commissioners afterwards.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: VAT Refunds to Unregistered Farmers: Revenue Commissioners (8 May 2024)

Tim Lombard: From 1972 on, the majority of meal bins have been smaller than 10 tonnes. It is only in the past eight or nine years that 10-tonne meal bins have been coming into the system.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: VAT Refunds to Unregistered Farmers: Revenue Commissioners (8 May 2024)

Tim Lombard: I think the majority of us with meal bins attached to milking parlours have them bolted to the ground for safety purposes. I could mention a dozen providers of such products. Talking to the industry, there is significant concern about how we can move it forward. The Chairman detailed the issues in the industry. There is unbelievable fear and paralysis at the moment. We do not know what...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: VAT Refunds to Unregistered Farmers: Revenue Commissioners (8 May 2024)

Tim Lombard: The change in interpretation is the issue. There is a view among farmers that in the last six to eight months there has been a definitive change in interpretation in Revenue. How can we move this forward? I do not want to misquote Mr. Egan. In his opening statement, he stated there would be a review or statement on how to move forward. Does Revenue have a timeline for when it will bring...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: VAT Refunds to Unregistered Farmers: Revenue Commissioners (8 May 2024)

Tim Lombard: A new online portal has been put in place in the past year or so? How efficient is it in getting claims out? What is the timeline for getting payments out to the so-called customer, to use Revenue's terminology? I have spoken to people who made claims last December and are still waiting on payments. What is the preferred or target timeline for paying out claims?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: VAT Refunds to Unregistered Farmers: Revenue Commissioners (8 May 2024)

Tim Lombard: That happens because farmers need the cash flow in February. They have no milk cheque for February. They submit their documentation in December because they will not have a bob in February. That is how they survive the system. As a result of delays that came into the system, people got very agitated. They were getting part-payments on some of their claims or a percentage of the claim....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: VAT Refunds to Unregistered Farmers: Revenue Commissioners (8 May 2024)

Tim Lombard: Going back to my original point, we can argue as to whether there is a change of focus regarding the actual legislation itself. For farmers who made a claim since 1972 and who are now hearing that a 3-tonne meal bin does not qualify, should they be fearful of the Revenue Commissioners? Should they be concerned that there will be a review of claims they submitted 25 years ago, five years ago...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: VAT Refunds to Unregistered Farmers: Revenue Commissioners (8 May 2024)

Tim Lombard: Let us say claims from five years ago.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: VAT Refunds to Unregistered Farmers: Revenue Commissioners (8 May 2024)

Tim Lombard: Does Mr. Egan see why people listening to this discussion might be fearful that there could be an issue regarding what they claimed and what potentially was not claimable? There is a slight change in focus, although we disagree on the terminology. Grants were made previously that might not fit into the criteria that have been announced. The worry for some farmers will be that the Revenue...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: VAT Refunds to Unregistered Farmers: Revenue Commissioners (8 May 2024)

Tim Lombard: I thank Mr. Egan and Ms Lyons.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: VAT Refunds to Unregistered Farmers: Revenue Commissioners (8 May 2024)

Tim Lombard: If I am reading it correctly, in the first three months of 2024, the percentage of claims approved has dropped to 93%, 91% in February and 94% in March. February had the biggest percentage of claims being made. I was explaining why previously. That is down 5% on the previous yearly average. Why is that down by 5% on the previous yearly average?