Results 4,001-4,020 of 32,547 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Inflation Rate (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for raising the critical economic challenge we are now confronting. As he will be aware, consumer price inflation picked up sharply over the past year and in October stood at 9.6%. Almost every advanced country in the world is in the same position with, for example, inflation throughout our neighbours within the EU, and in particular among those countries that share the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Inflation Rate (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: Indeed. The focus at European level is on trying to reduce the cost of energy, which, as the House will know, is an exceptionally complex and sensitive matter at a time the supply of energy in the first instance is so constrained and so low. That is the focus of considerable collective efforts within the EU because any change in the price of energy will have a significant impact on the rate...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Inflation Rate (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes, it will. In the various economic forecasts we conduct, which we will again revise in April, we will continue to monitor clearly where we are with inflation and what that means for our economy overall. While we expect a decrease in inflation rates in the economy for next year, it will be a decrease to only 6%, which, unfortunately, will have an impact on the living standards of our...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Code (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: Our taxation system is among the most progressive in the OECD in that those on lower incomes pay less income tax as a share of their income than those on higher incomes. Budget 2023 included a significant personal income tax package, estimated to cost €1.13 billion. Overall, in all the measures contained in that tax package, it is expected 2.1 million taxpayers will benefit in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Vacant Properties (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy very much. In deciding what the rate was going to be, I did, of course, consult with my colleagues and my officials on it. My judgment, based on the engagement that I had with them, was that a new charge that is multiples of an existing tax, is a proportionate and sufficient charge for the harm to the common good of homes that could have somebody living in them but do...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Vacant Properties (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: A punitive tax of 10% would mean that the cost to such a property holder would be many thousands of euro. I look forward to hearing the Deputy make the case on Committee Stage of the Finance Bill. Regarding the charge she made about the level of vacant homes in the country, as she will be aware, the recent census indicated that there are 166,752 vacant homes nationwide. This is 7.8% of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tax Reliefs (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy very much. As she will be aware, the details of the new TBESS are set out in the Finance Bill, which will begin Committee Stage later today. The scheme will provide support to qualifying businesses in respect of energy costs relating to the period from 1 September 2022 to 28 February 2023. The TBESS will be available to tax-compliant businesses carrying on a trade or...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tax Reliefs (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I must be honest with the Deputy. We can help, in particular with the energy costs, but no government should give the indication to the people of Ireland and the economy that we can cover or insulate any business from all of the cost changes that are going on at the moment. I know the Deputy recognises that. While she was perhaps not calling on me to do it, she was putting the energy costs...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy talks about documents that follow but I want to go back to the document he published before budget day. I ask him again where it is now. I am asking him this because it concerns a key point. The reason I am making a case for the levy – conscious of all the risks the Deputy referred to, because I accept they exist – is that the greater risk would be to pretend to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I did google the alternative budget on the way here. What came up was the alternative health budget. Maybe between my doing that and taking these parliamentary questions, all the Deputy's colleagues in the Balkans will be changing all the time. The alternative budget of the Deputy was not available this morning and is not available on his party's website.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: To go back to the core point, of course I want to make money available to help all the poor families who have been affected by mica. I have met them, although I accept I have not met as many as the Deputy. Of course I want to make money available to help those who are affected by rising rents and the rising cost of living, but the money has to come from somewhere. The money has to be available.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: If you are making the case for leading the Government and being responsible for public finances, you need to explain where the money is coming from.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: If you do not, you are a source of risk-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: If you do not, you run the risk of inflicting on this economy and our jobs the kind of risk-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I will keep coming back to the question of where the Deputy's budget is. Where has it gone? What has changed in the past few days?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: It is anything but entertaining.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Vacant Properties (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank Deputy Shortall. I am aware that she has been raising this issue for some time. I have little doubt at all that if I wanted to have a look at her budget proposals, they would be freely and publicly available. The vacant homes tax, VHT, is a new measure announced in budget 2023 that aims to increase the supply of homes for rent or purchase to meet demand. Further detail on this...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mortgage Interest Rates (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: Many of those proposals were contained in the Sinn Féin budget proposal, which is no longer available. It has disappeared from the party's website. If I want to find out about Sinn Féin's budget proposals for 2022, they are still available. If I want to find out about its proposals for the budget we are debating, they are gone. Why are they gone? The reason they are gone is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mortgage Interest Rates (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for raising that point. Yes, of course we are monitoring the impact that rising interest rates are having on the cost of living and on families, households and businesses. The Central Bank has not approached me looking for additional powers or tools to deal with the consequences of that impact. As the Deputy will be aware, the code of conduct on mortgage arrears...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mortgage Interest Rates (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: Very much so. As I said, we will continue to monitor the adequacy of the consumer protection code that is in place. I believe, however, that it is robust and that the Central Bank and other authorities will take very carefully their responsibilities to ensure that borrowers who find themselves in positions of distress receive the necessary information and are made aware of the options...