Results 6,201-6,220 of 32,547 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I certainly have no plans to refer any more services or collection roles to the Revenue. They have a full agenda as it is. I look at the work they will be doing this year. The zoned land tax is a big example. There is the work that is under way now as we exit the employment wage subsidy scheme. Their agenda is full now with the delivery of their core functions and I have no plans to...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: The vast majority of it has been very well spent. As to whether any detailed evaluation of the use of that funding and the operation of the scheme occurred, I do not believe it has yet, or not in a substantial way. Obviously, the scheme is scheme is still functioning. We are about to commence the exit strategy from that scheme. I anticipate that in the months and years ahead a large...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: The sector itself thinks it was absolutely vital. The operation of that scheme in particular has been acknowledged by the sector as something that was incredibly timely and helpful for it. The Deputy will remember we introduced the scheme in the context of budget 2021. At that point we were literally about to go into another phase of our economy being shut down. Businesses that were going...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: There is neither time nor need for a bow. We had many employers we needed to help. I hope they can all successfully reopen. That is the most important thing. We now need to move ahead with trying to exit this scheme in a careful way, which is what we are trying to do. As we move through the second half of this year and see a jobs market that does not have the EWSS in place, I hope we...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: It is worth noting that across the period in which the current public service wage agreement was in place we had inflation levels significantly below the figures the Deputy is referring to for November and December. If we look at the period for 2020 we actually had some modest deflation of 0.5%. For 2021 the average inflation level across that period was 2.5%, although it increased very...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: Again, it is in recognition of the challenges society is facing that we have made the changes that formed the core part of our budget day measures. We have made changes in personal tax credits. We have made changes to the level at which a person pays the higher rate of income tax in our country exactly in anticipation of the issues the Deputy is referring to. We have measures in place in...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I have addressed that particular issue on other occasions before this committee. I was a member of the Government that agreed to this appointment. I was also aware of and supported the process that led to it happening. I know that the committee has strong views on it. The Secretary General of the Department of Health is an important post. The role of the Department of Health has been...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: Later in the year, we will have engagement with the public service unions on a future wage agreement. That matter will be led by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, who I will fully support. Our public servants have played a vital role in the delivery of public services during the pandemic. We look to recognise those who have been most immediately on the...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: Regarding the two specific questions posed to me, and starting with the warehousing of tax liabilities, the policy in this regard is and will be that companies availing of the ability to warehouse their tax liabilities will have a 12-month period in which no interest will be charged. After that point, they will move to an interest rate of 3%. For many companies that will be affected by...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: I will answer that question generally. That matter will be dealt with by the Department of Justice in future and paid for through funding allocated to An Garda Síochána. Therefore, there will be a change regarding the costs of the current arrangement, because the Garda will now have responsibility for Ministers, as individual circumstances change.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: There has not been a change in the number of agencies audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General. There has been no increase. To consider the present position, while there has been a slight decrease in the overall Vote for that office, it still has an Estimate for this year of €9.4 million. It is a considerable sum, which reflects the importance of the office.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: We have increased the number of staff available to the Comptroller and Auditor General and responded to a request for additional reporting staff in his organisation to deepen the role of the Comptroller and Auditor General and help him in the discharge of his functions. The Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General has 199 whole-time equivalents planned for 2022; at the end of 2021, the...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: The responsibility for the use of money in higher education, first and foremost, should sit with the new Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. The Chairman has raised in the past a number of issues related to the use of funding. There have been some issues that the Committee of Public Accounts has looked into. I believe one of the rationales for the...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: There is not a policy change planned in relation to the remit of the Comptroller and Auditor General but our desire to support that body in the discharge of its important role is demonstrated by the increase in staffing it will receive across this year.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: When I was in front of the joint committee last week, I gave a statement regarding how much overall is outstanding. It will take longer than was expected to ensure we regain all the money invested in Bank of Ireland, AIB and Permanent TSB. The procedures under way with regard to Bank of Ireland and AIB are going well. As to what happens to that money when it comes in, it does not...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: As soon as I came back from the joint committee, I asked for that information to be shared with members subject to any legal constraints, which there may well be, regarding such sharing. What can be shared with members will be shared. There are constraints in relation to the legal advice I can share with the Oireachtas but I will ensure that that which can be shared is shared.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: The €350,000 is under salaries. On the question the Deputy asked me on legal advice, I recollect that it was not just a matter of its content but also a matter of who supplied it. I remember both issues that the Deputy raised.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: It relates to moving three more people into the economic division. The €350,000 will be used to pay for their salaries. On the question on whether it leads to an increase in the number of staff within the Department of Finance, there was an increase in the overall number of staff from 349 from 369. Therefore, there are to be 20 more staff in the Department this year by comparison...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: No, I am not saying that. Housing policy and issues in relation to housing will be covered by all members of the Department of Finance, or by many different members of staff. The figure of €350,000 is the figure we will go up to in order to bring approximately three people into the Department to help with this work.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Paschal Donohoe: We have to begin the work on moving these people through and appointing them. I expect that the salaries and status of the recruits are yet to be determined. It may well be the case that the figure will be considerably below €350,000. As I have said to the Deputy, these are people whose sole role will be to consider housing issues relevant to the Department, but this will be on top...