Results 4,201-4,220 of 16,537 for speaker:Brian Lenihan Jnr

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (19 Jan 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Fifteen persons applied for the post of Secretary General, D/Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs. An appointment was made today Tuesday 19th January 2010. On foot of Government decisions on the Decentralisation Programme, the headquarters of the Department will move to Charlestown, Co Mayo and the person appointed Secretary General will serve at that location.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (19 Jan 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I propose to take Questions Nos. 217 to 219, inclusive, together. Secretaries-General are appointed for not more than 7 years and are obliged to retire at 60 years of age. If, on appointment as Secretary, a person is between 56 and 60 years of age, the Government may, at its discretion, (a) waive that person's obligation to retire at 60 and (b) permit the person to serve as Secretary for...

Written Answers — National Assets Management Agency: National Assets Management Agency (19 Jan 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I propose to take Questions Nos. 220 and 296 together. I am informed that NAMA officials held a meeting with local authority officials at the request of the latter. As NAMA had not acquired any assets, the meeting was limited to a discussion of general issues and did not focus on how NAMA would operate in detail. As regards the matter of lobbying referred to by the Deputy, I can assure the...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (19 Jan 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I propose to take Questions Nos. 221 and 262 together. The position in relation to mortgage interest relief is as I stated in my Budget speech on 9 December 2009. As a support to homeowners who may now find themselves in negative equity, I am extending mortgage interest relief up to the end of 2017 for those who took out qualifying loans from 2004. To encourage those who want to buy a house...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (19 Jan 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: In the Budget I announced that there would be a new single public service pension scheme introduced for new entrants to the public service. Relevant legislation will be introduced in 2010 and the scheme will be in place by the end of the year. The introduction of a single pension scheme will provide a standard, consistent and efficient structure for the future management and control of...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (19 Jan 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the information requested is as follows, insofar as it is available. Range of interest reported Number of Records reported 20072008 = 1,000,001 211417 Financial Institutions report each party to an account where the account is a Joint Account. This could mean that a joint account is included more than once i.e. for each of the parties. The...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (19 Jan 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: At 31 December 2009 there were 606 people (560.78 wholetime equivalent) employed in my Department. There are currently 57 officers who hold degrees in Economics and related disciplines, 44 who hold a Masters graduate qualification in Economics and related disciplines, and 2 officers who hold a PhD. Some officers will, of course, be included in more than 1 of these categories. My Department...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (19 Jan 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Further to my reply to the Deputy on 21 October 2009, I understand that considerable progress has been made towards completion of this report. Many of the issues involved are of a complex nature and have required considerable discussion and consideration by members of the Committee and their respective Departments. The Committee is now finalising its report and I look forward to receiving...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (19 Jan 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: My Department does not hold details on the status of individual applications made through the Central Applications Facility (CAF). Responsibility for the implementation of the projects included in the decentralisation programme is a matter for the individual organisations concerned and these would be best placed to advise in relation to the status of applications made in respect of their...

Written Answers — Public Procurement: Public Procurement (19 Jan 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The National Public Procurement Operations Unit (NPPOU) has begun the process of implementing green procurement principles by having a systemised referral of all procurement projects to a working group consisting of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Department of Communications Energy and National Resources and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (19 Jan 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The position is that neither income levy nor employee PRSI are allowable deductions in arriving at an individual's taxable income for income tax purposes. However, the public sector pension-related deduction is an allowable deduction in arriving at an individual's taxable income for income tax purposes.

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (19 Jan 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Budget 2009 and last April's Supplementary Budget introduced measures designed to yield around €3.8 billion in additional revenue in 2009. This was a considerable figure, particularly in the context of falling economic growth. A third set of increases in the tax burden over such a short period would have a negative impact on enterprise and on growth prospects in general for 2010. As I...

Written Answers — Public Sector Expenditure: Public Sector Expenditure (19 Jan 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I propose to take Questions Nos. 230 and 232 together. The Government has set out a multi-annual framework to restore sustainability to the public finances and to reduce the General Government Deficit to below 3% of GDP by end-2014. Over the course of 2008 and 2009 the Government has already taken significant action on curbing expenditure and raising revenue. Budget 2010 represented a...

Written Answers — Public Sector Expenditure: Public Sector Expenditure (19 Jan 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I take it that the State bill referred to is gross Voted current spending. The Public Service pay bill is estimated at €18,675 million in gross terms for 2010, or 34% of gross Voted current spending. Social Welfare expenditure, net of pay, is estimated at €20,879 million or 38% gross Voted current spending.

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (19 Jan 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Section 19 of the Finance Act 1994 (now section 236 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997) allows a company to make a loan of an art object, being a work of art or a scientific collection, to an employee or a director, without that individual suffering an income tax charge on the loan as a benefit in kind or as a distribution. The art object must be on display and available for viewing by...

Written Answers — Public Relations Contracts: Public Relations Contracts (19 Jan 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Anglo Irish Bank is run on an arms length commercial basis by the Board of Anglo. Consequently, matters which relate to the normal commercial business of the bank, including public relations and other business services contracted by the bank, are a matter for the Board of Anglo. Information on the bank's contracts and contracting processes are commercially sensitive and it would therefore not...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (19 Jan 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I propose to take Question Nos. 236 and 280 together. I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that since the introduction of the air travel tax on 30 March 2009, it has yielded a total of €84.4 million in 2009. The expected yield for the full year in 2010 is approximately €125 million. It should be recognised that tourists are only subject to the tax on their return journey. The...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (19 Jan 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the numbers of income earners with income between €26,000 and €27,480, estimated by reference to the income tax year 2009, is of the order of 60,500. The amount of health levy payable by these income earners in respect of 2009 is estimated to be about €47 million; a breakdown on a geographical basis is not available. The figures are...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (19 Jan 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Section 848A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 provides for a scheme of tax relief for donations to eligible charities and other approved bodies. The precise arrangements for allowing tax relief on donations varies depending on whether the donor is a PAYE taxpayer, a person subject to self-assessment or a company. For PAYE-only taxpayers, the relief is given on a "grossed-up" basis to the...

Written Answers — Public Sector Schemes: Public Sector Schemes (19 Jan 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: As the Deputy will be aware the Special Civil Service Incentive Career Break Scheme was introduced as a once-off measure that was included in the Supplementary Budget on 7 April 2009. Following implementation on 30 April the measure was extended to staff in the different areas of the public service, including the local government sector and the HSE. The closing date for participation in...