Results 6,121-6,140 of 16,537 for speaker:Brian Lenihan Jnr

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (1 Jul 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: In my Budget speech on 14th October 2008, I announced the introduction of a new tax incentive scheme to facilitate the relocation of Seveso-listed industrial facilities which hinder the residential and commercial regeneration of Docklands in urban areas. The EU Seveso Directive seeks to protect public safety by placing land-use restrictions on new residential and commercial development near...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (1 Jul 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: While I support properly focused, clearly defined specific tax reliefs, such reliefs narrow the tax base and make general reform of the tax base that much more difficult. A broad tax base is the price that must be paid to keep tax rates low and low tax rates benefit businesses generally in this country. Any proposal for new tax reliefs has to be considered in this context. The Deputy will be...

Written Answers — Auctioneers' Licences: Auctioneers' Licences (1 Jul 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Revenue Commissioners have advised that the number of Auctioneers or House Agents that were issued Licences in 2008, is as follows: Auctioneers 2,527 House Agents 16.

Written Answers — Banking Sector: Banking Sector (1 Jul 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: A core Government objective is to free up lending on a commercial basis into the economy to support economic growth and a number of actions have been taken to achieve this objective. In the context of the bank guarantee scheme and recapitalisation the banks have made important commitments to support business lending. A Code of Conduct for Business Lending to Small and Medium Enterprises was...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (1 Jul 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: As indicated in my reply to the earlier Parliamentary Question on this matter on 22 April 2009, following discussions between my Department and the Revenue Commissioners the concerns raised by the Covered Institutions Remuneration Oversight Committee (CIROC) were to be taken up by the Commissioners with the institutions involved, with a view to ensuring that the practices concerned are in...

Written Answers — Banking Sector: Banking Sector (1 Jul 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: While I regret the curtailment of ATM facilities in parts of the country following on from recent criminal activity the Deputy will no doubt appreciate that the provision of services by banks including the hours they are available for customers is a commercial decision for the banks. The Deputy might also wish to note that there is widespread alternative access to cash and payment facilities...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (1 Jul 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: On the issue of the tax treatment of retirement gratuities for the Public Service, the position is that under statutory pension schemes and pension schemes approved by the Revenue Commissioners there is no liability to income tax in respect of retirement gratuities or lump sums paid to members of such schemes on retirement. Provided individuals are members of such schemes and the lump sum...

Written Answers — Exchequer Savings: Exchequer Savings (30 Jun 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: In the April 2009 supplementary budget, I announced a range of initiatives which are intended to lead to savings in the public service pay bill. The Government has decided to offer an Incentivised Scheme of Early Retirement in the public service to reduce the public service pay bill and facilitate a permanent, structural reduction in the numbers of staff serving in the Civil Service, local...

Written Answers — Public Service Contracts: Public Service Contracts (30 Jun 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The contract between the interim NAMA and the firm in question is a commercial contract. As such it is subject to commercial confidentiality. I cannot comment on the terms and conditions. The procurement process for this contract was conducted through www.etenders.gov.ie which is the website for Irish public tenders. I am advised that the process was fully compliant with public procurement...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (30 Jun 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The National Pensions Reserve Fund (NPRF) was established on 2 April 2001 under the National Pensions Reserve Fund Act 2000 with the objective of meeting as much as possible of the cost to the Exchequer of social welfare pensions and public service pensions to be paid from the year 2025 until at least 2055. The National Pensions Reserve Fund Commission — who control and manage the fund —...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (30 Jun 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The latest estimate for the accrued liability for public service occupational pensions is €75 billion as of 2007. This accrued liability figure is a single monetary amount representing the present value of all expected future superannuation payments to current staff and their spouses in respect of service to date, plus the full liability for all future payments to current pensioners and...

Written Answers — Value for Money Reviews: Value for Money Reviews (30 Jun 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I take it that the Deputy is referring to the ongoing Value for Money reviews. Under the Expenditure Review Initiative my Department, and the offices under its aegis, has carried out the following reviews during the last three years: Value for Money Review Completion date Outcome Department of Finance Ordnance Survey Ireland January 2007 22 recommendations (published in detail on the...

Written Answers — Public Service Contracts: Public Service Contracts (30 Jun 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am not aware of any particular situation where a delay in payment by a main contractor to a sub-contractor has occurred on a public works contract. I should explain to the Deputy that a contracting authority is only responsible for payment for work satisfactorily done by a main contractor under contract with the contracting authority. The contractual relationship on a project with a...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (30 Jun 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I have been advised by the Revenue Commissioners that they are aware that the person concerned claims that emergency tax was deducted during the period concerned. They are in correspondence with the person in an effort to establish whether or not PAYE tax was deducted from the payments made to him.

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (30 Jun 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the number of transactions coming before them where a professional presenter (the vast majority of whom are solicitors) has not paid the stamp duty in full and where the instrument (the vast majority of which relate to property) has not been stamped amounted to 155 in the first five months in 2009 from a total of 45,117 instruments received for...

Written Answers — Members' Remuneration: Members' Remuneration (30 Jun 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: To date all Ministers and Ministers of State, 15 Deputies and five Senators are making gifts from salary to the Minister for Finance. In addition, all Ministers, Ministers of State, Deputies and Senators are subject to the public service pensions-related deduction.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (30 Jun 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The amount of late payment penalty interest paid from the Vote of the Minster for Finance for the past five years to date in 2009 is set out in the following table. The period between receipt of an invoice from a supplier and payment by my Department has been reducing in recent years and thus far in 2009 has averaged ten days. This is comfortably within the period of 30 days after which, in...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (30 Jun 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: During the Finance Bill, I indicated that discussions would commence as to how best betting duty might be applied in the future, in the context of the 2010 budget including looking at the UK's gross profit tax model. A number of different proposals in that regard have been received from various sectors of the industry. I also indicated that it is my intention to widen if possible the tax...

Written Answers — Tax Yield: Tax Yield (30 Jun 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: It would appear, without further clarification, that the "stamp duty" referred to by the Deputy is not a stamp duty governed by the Stamp Duties Consolidation Act 1999 and for this reason the Minister for Finance would therefore have no function in relation to such matter. The Deputy might wish to consider approaching the Courts Service for the information sought.

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (30 Jun 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I propose to take Questions Nos. 143 and 144 together. I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that it is not possible to provide a breakdown of entitlement to, or loss of entitlement to, mortgage interest relief on the geographic basis sought by the Deputy. At the end of 2008, there were approximately 564,000 mortgage accounts in respect of which mortgage interest relief was being paid...