Results 4,701-4,720 of 33,118 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2022: Committee Stage (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I am not sure whether I am going to be able to do justice to all the issues that were raised in the remaining time.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2022: Committee Stage (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I will just make three points in response to the issues raised, and I will confine them to what was said about the help-to-buy scheme before I get onto broader housing issues. The total proportion of house transactions, for the last year I have available to me, 2021, that were covered by help-to-buy was approximately 13%, up from 12.7% in 2020. I do not accept that a scheme that covers such...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2022: Committee Stage (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: Of course.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2022: Committee Stage (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I am very happy to meet Deputies who I believe might actually vote for the budget or engage with me in a fair-minded manner. I do not believe Deputy Mattie McGrath-----

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2022: Committee Stage (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: As I have been very happy to do, I have met many other Deputies in the context of budget votes to determine whether I could gain their support. However, as I said to the Vice Chairman, Deputy Mattie McGrath, despite his best efforts-----

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2022: Committee Stage (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I do appreciate that people want a quick outcome and that many of them are really worried about the future of their homes. The issue is being moved along as quickly as it can be. These are hugely complex matters with, yet again, huge amounts of money on which the State must make a decision. I am very much aware of the debate that we have just had on mica, and all of the issues that...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2022: Committee Stage (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I understand the reason for the difference that Deputy Farrell has referred to is that there was Supreme Court case, Hyland v. Minister for Social Welfare, that has led to a change in the treatment of non-married cohabiting couples in the social welfare code. I understand that the court ruled that it was unconstitutional for the total income that a married couple received in social welfare...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2022: Committee Stage (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: It deals with income tax, USC and PRSI. The nature of the payment, who receives it and over what time are not matters contained in the Finance Bill or matters for which I have individual responsibility in the Finance Bill. Of course, I have such responsibility collectively as a member of Government. I understand that in the original legislation that provides the framework for these...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2022: Committee Stage (10 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes, but as I said, it is available across the next three years. It could be the case that there are people who are yet to be made redundant. When they are made redundant their entitlements will have been reduced due to the impact of the Covid restrictions, so that amount could yet be drawn down in the time ahead. Of course, it is a demand-led scheme. The costing of these things can...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Staff (9 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to inform the Deputy that, the Dept. of Finance currently has 20 Officers seconded out, with one officer in receipt of Higher Duty/Acting allowance. In this instance, the allowance is pensionable. No Officer currently has been seconded for more than 10, 20 or 30 years.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Revenue Commissioners (9 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 to 30, inclusive, together. Revenue has recently written to over 300,000 individuals who, based on the information available to Revenue, may have overpaid or underpaid tax in some or all of the years 2019 to 2021 inclusive. These letters provide a preliminary tax position, advising the recipients to submit a tax return to claim any additional tax credits or...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Credit Unions (9 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: On 23 November last, I published the Terms of Reference for a broad-ranging review of the retail banking sector in Ireland. The Review is being conducted by officials in my Department with assistance from other Government agencies and Departments. At the time of publishing the Terms of Reference, it was confirmed that the Review team would report to me in November 2022. Although the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Banking Sector (9 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 to 34, inclusive, together. As I have previously stated, the Irish Government believes that banking is an activity that should be provided by the private sector and that taxpayer funds which were used to rescue the banks should be recovered and used for more productive purposes. The State has made good progress in delivering on its policy of returning both...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Banking Sector (9 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: In answering the Deputy's question, I should note that a recommendation to pay dividends is the sole responsibility of the board and management of the banks. I am precluded from intervening in commercial and operational decisions in any particular bank, even one in which the State has a shareholding. I also wish to highlight that ECB guidance in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic in March and...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Banking Sector (9 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I have not held meetings with Irish banks about the rate of interest paid on customer deposits. Neither I nor the Central Bank of Ireland have a role in prescribing or the setting of deposit interest rates offered by banks. These are commercial matters and are the sole responsibility of the board and management of the banks, which must be run on an independent and commercial basis. Although...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (9 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: The position is that married persons or civil partners who are legally separated are generally taxed as single persons from the date of their separation. A formal separation for this purpose means a separation under an Order of Court or Deed of Separation, or other circumstances in which the couple are in fact separated and the separation is likely to be permanent. As single persons,...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Bodies (9 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: The Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers Scheme provides relief from Vehicle Registration Tax and VAT on an adapted car, as well as an exemption from motor tax and an annual fuel grant. The Scheme is open to severely and permanently disabled persons as a driver or as a passenger and also to certain charitable organisations. In order to qualify for relief, the applicant must hold a...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Industry (9 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: Firstly, it is important to note that neither I, nor the Central Bank, have the power to direct insurers to sell any specific product, or to make it available at a particular price. This stance is reinforced by the EU Solvency II directive which expressly prohibits Government from doing so. Notwithstanding this, insurance reform is a key priority for this Government. As the Deputy is...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs (9 Nov 2022)

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. The incentive gives a refund on Income Tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax paid in the State over the previous four years, subject to limits outlined in the legislation. Section 477C of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 outlines the definitions and...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Energy Prices (8 Nov 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: Details of the new Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS) are set out in Finance Bill 2022. 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 profession, the profits of which are chargeable to tax under...