Results 5,301-5,320 of 32,547 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Banking Sector (17 May 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy is aware, AIB recently announced that it has entered into exclusive discussions with NatWest Group for the acquisition of circa €6 billion Ulster Bank performing tracker (and linked) mortgages. I welcomed that announcement as, if it leads to a successful outcome, it would provide a significant number of Ulster Bank customers with certainty on the destination of their...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Schemes (12 May 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that the cost of the Fuel Grant for Members of the Drivers and Passengers with Disabilities Scheme from 2018 to 2021 is provided in the table below. Year Cost €m 2021 8.1 2020 9.9 2019 10.4 2018 10.1 The Fuel Grant is currently paid at a set...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Pension Provisions (12 May 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: Where a person is in receipt of payments from the Department of Social Protection (DSP), and has an additional source of income such as an occupational pension, the mechanism used to tax payments from the DSP, is by reducing the person’s annual tax credits and rate band to take account of the amount of their taxable DSP payments. This ensures that their weekly payment from the DSP is...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Schemes (12 May 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: The Disabled Drivers & Disabled Passengers Scheme provides relief from VRT and VAT on the purchase and use of an adapted car, as well as an exemption from motor tax and an annual fuel grant. The car must be purchased before applying for VRT and VAT relief, as applicable to the category of adaptations made to the vehicle. The Scheme is open to severely and permanently disabled...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Exemptions (11 May 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: The rent-a-room scheme was introduced in Finance Act 2001 as an incentive to encourage individuals to let rooms in their principal private residence as residential accommodation in order to bring about an increase in the availability of rental accommodation. In accordance with section 216A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, an individual who lets a room or rooms in her or his sole or...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Coverage (11 May 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: Firstly, it is important to note that neither I, nor the Central Bank of Ireland, can intervene in the provision or pricing of insurance products, which is a commercial matter for insurance providers. This is expressly prohibited by the EU’s Solvency II framework. However, I can assure the Deputy that Government is committed to improving the cost and availability of insurance for all...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: EU Directives (11 May 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: Officials in my Department are currently reviewing the options now available to Ireland in setting VAT rates. This will include consideration of the new options available to Member States as a result of the recently updated EU VAT rules when setting VAT rates as well as the new limitations introduced on how reduced rates may be applied. Decisions about tax changes are generally taken in...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Exemptions (11 May 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: Officials in my Department are currently reviewing the options now available to Ireland in setting VAT rates. This will include consideration of the new options available to Member States as a result of the recently updated EU VAT rules when setting VAT rates as well as the new limitations introduced on how reduced rates may be applied. Decisions about tax changes are generally taken in...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Financial Services (11 May 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 to 91, inclusive, together. The Consumer Protection (Regulation of Retail Credit and Credit Servicing Firms) Act 2022 will bring all the direct and indirect providers of credit (including credit which is termed ‘buy now pay later’), as well as the providers of hire purchase and consumer hire agreements, to consumers within the regulatory...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Financial Services (11 May 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: Credit and Financial Institutions are obliged to identify and verify their customer’s identity on the basis of documents or information that they have reasonable grounds to believe can be relied upon to confirm the identify of their customer. Institutions often use official documents, like passports or driving licences, in order to verify a customer’s identity. However,...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Priorities (11 May 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware the Government has provided a wide range of supports to business over the course of the pandemic. In relation to the increasing cost of heat and electricity for households and businesses a reduction in VAT on the supply of gas and electricity from 13.5% to 9% came into effect from 1 May and will last to 31 October. The measure is estimated to cost €46m....

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Financial Services (11 May 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: My Department is aware that the number of bank operated ATMs across the country has been declining in recent years. This is mainly because banks have sold, mostly offsite, ATMs to independent ATM deployers (IADs). The latest data from the BPFI shows that in December 2021 there were 1,787 ATMs operated by banks in Ireland. This figure is down from 2,353 in December 2020. IADs are not...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Financial Services (11 May 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: The level of data requested is not available on ATMs operating in Ireland. The Banking and Payments Federation of Ireland (BPFI) collects data on the total number of bank operated ATMs cross the country. This has been declining in recent years mainly because banks have sold, mainly offsite, ATMs to Independent ATM Deployers (IADs) and more recently also due to branch closures. The latest data...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Wildlife Conservation (11 May 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department, currently, has no policy in place to install structures - artificial or otherwise - which may provide shelter and habitat space for wild species. I am advised that the bodies under the aegis of my Department do not currently have such policies in place. However one of these bodies, the Central Bank of Ireland, has an overarching integrated...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: State Claims Agency (11 May 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to inform the Deputy that it was not possible to collate all of the information sought in the time available and, therefore, I will make arrangements to provide the information to the Deputy as soon as possible and in line with Standing Order 42A.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Data (11 May 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: Lifetime loans are regarded as a niche product, provided by regulated entities, usually to those aged 60 years and over. The Central Bank has advised me that it does not publish figures on lifetime loans. However, the Deputy may wish to note that, if a regulated entity wishes to engage in the provision of lifetime mortgages or home reversion schemes then, in addition to the requirements...

Seanad: Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022: Second Stage (10 May 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: What the Bill before the House does is provide a legislative basis for a number of changes to the main Covid supports that were announced by the Government since the end of last year and that are currently being implemented by the Revenue Commissioners on an administrative basis. Members will recall that the additional public health restrictions in place at the end of last year necessitated...

Seanad: Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022: Second Stage (10 May 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I will reply to the points made by different Senators. Senator Kyne inquired about the taxation of the pandemic recognition payment and whether tax can be alleviated on payments that were made in the past. The pandemic recognition payment should not have had taxed paid on it. When the Government made the announcement on it, we implemented it on an administrative basis through the Revenue...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (10 May 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 261 and 267 together. I am advised by Revenue that the VAT rating of goods and services is subject to EU VAT law, with which Irish VAT law must comply.  In accordance with the VAT Directive a school that is engaged solely in the provision of children’s or young people’s education is exempt from VAT. As is the case with all VAT exempt...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (10 May 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: The Government’s strategy ‘Housing For All’ includes an action for my Department to collect data on vacancy with a view to introducing a Vacant Property Tax. The timeframe for delivery on this commitment is the second quarter of 2022. The Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Act 2021 enabled Revenue to collect certain information in relation to the occupancy status...