Results 6,581-6,600 of 35,563 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Updated Economic and Fiscal Position in Advance of Budget 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Sep 2022)

Pearse Doherty: Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh, agus cuirim fáilte roimh na hAirí chuig an gcoiste. I will begin with the Minister, Deputy Donohoe. The Minister will be aware that the committee wrote to him on two occasions asking him to publish the White Paper on revenue and expenditure. It is usually published on the Friday before the budget. There is no legal impediment to publish it...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Updated Economic and Fiscal Position in Advance of Budget 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Sep 2022)

Pearse Doherty: That is exactly the date the Minister always publishes, which is the midnight on the Friday before the budget. The committee said that we want the information beforehand. There is no legal impediment to this and all the information that goes into it is available to the Minister. The committee asked that the Minister would bring it forward.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Updated Economic and Fiscal Position in Advance of Budget 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Sep 2022)

Pearse Doherty: I do not accept that. I wish to ask the Minister, Deputy McGrath, about the contingency fund that was allocated in budget 2022, where €7.5 billion was allocated to non-core expenditure. The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council advises that some €2.5 billion of that is unallocated and that if decisions are not made in the budget, for example to do once-off spending between now and the...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Updated Economic and Fiscal Position in Advance of Budget 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Sep 2022)

Pearse Doherty: Of course, but in the absence of further cost-of-living measures to be announced in the budget, the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council has said that €2.5 billion is likely to remain unallocated because they recognise that of the €3.7 billion more will be spent on Covid and there will be a bit more spent on the Ukrainian-related crisis. Is that the ballpark we are in at this point in...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Updated Economic and Fiscal Position in Advance of Budget 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Sep 2022)

Pearse Doherty: With regard to the Ukrainian crisis and our response to it, am I correct to say that the amount of non-core expenditure allocated to that is €3 billion for 2023?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Updated Economic and Fiscal Position in Advance of Budget 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Sep 2022)

Pearse Doherty: Does the Minister still believe that it will be €4.5 billion for those three areas that are identified, which are Covid, Brexit and the Ukrainian crisis? The expenditure on the Ukrainian crisis seems to be significantly inflated. The €3 billion figure is more likely to be a €2 billion figure.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Updated Economic and Fiscal Position in Advance of Budget 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Sep 2022)

Pearse Doherty: But it was based on 100,000 people. The 100,000 people are not here and they are unlikely to come unless there is a huge wave. It was a big estimation. We never knew at the start but it seems that as time goes on it needs to be revised downward.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Updated Economic and Fiscal Position in Advance of Budget 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Sep 2022)

Pearse Doherty: I looked at the discretionary fund for this year and cost-of-living payments and measures have come out of that discretionary fund. Does the Minister expect that out of the €4.5 billion some cost-of-living measures could come out of that for the start of next year?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Updated Economic and Fiscal Position in Advance of Budget 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Sep 2022)

Pearse Doherty: No. The Minister is not touching it.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Updated Economic and Fiscal Position in Advance of Budget 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Sep 2022)

Pearse Doherty: With regard to the parameters the Minister has set out and the €3.7 billion package, the €1.05 billion in tax and the €2.65 billion, the Minister is still sticking to those as core expenditure. Does the Minister expect non-core expenditure on top of that as a cost-of-living package? Do we expect to see something to the side of that, which would be once-off measures?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Updated Economic and Fiscal Position in Advance of Budget 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Sep 2022)

Pearse Doherty: Hypothetically, if there is the one announced in the budget - and I am aware the Minister is not going to do it - but if it was extended, for example like the excise duty reduction, for a period in 2023 are we likely to see a package on core expenditure remaining within the parameters the Minister has announced, with non-core expenditure outside of the three areas the Minister, Deputy...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Updated Economic and Fiscal Position in Advance of Budget 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Sep 2022)

Pearse Doherty: But that is-----

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Updated Economic and Fiscal Position in Advance of Budget 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Sep 2022)

Pearse Doherty: So, it would be beyond the parameters. Okay. Hypothetically, if a credit was to be paid out in 2023, which the Government is talking about or is being floated, it would be outside the parameters of the summer economic statement because it would be deemed a once-off. That is my understanding of what the Minister is saying, which makes logical sense. Is my understanding of that correct?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Updated Economic and Fiscal Position in Advance of Budget 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Sep 2022)

Pearse Doherty: Okay. On the windfall tax measures being discussed and to be agreed at European level after the budget, have calculations been done on the impact they would have, particularly the cap on non-gas production of energy which would take in wind farms and so on? Are we looking at millions or hundreds of millions euro? Has there been any discussion or any work in the Department? Maybe the chief...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Updated Economic and Fiscal Position in Advance of Budget 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Sep 2022)

Pearse Doherty: The Minister's colleague, the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan-----

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Updated Economic and Fiscal Position in Advance of Budget 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Sep 2022)

Pearse Doherty: I did not ask for a forecast. I asked for a range.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Updated Economic and Fiscal Position in Advance of Budget 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Sep 2022)

Pearse Doherty: The Minister, Deputy Ryan, said it would be in the range of billions. Is it in the range he indicated? I will make a final point to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. It is important that he outline what his understanding is. Does he expect to be Minister for Finance before the end of the year? If so, is he looking to put his name forward for the Eurogroup chair as well?

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Real Estate Investment Trusts (14 Sep 2022)

Pearse Doherty: 159. To ask the Minister for Finance his analysis of the causes of the reduction in tax paid by Irish Real Estate Funds; and his views on whether amending the corporation tax applied to the profits made by IREFs could remedy these developments. [44358/22]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Banking Issues: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Pearse Doherty: Thank you, a Chathaoirligh. I welcome our guests to the meeting. I will start with the decision to close key banking infrastructure, 70 branches across the State, that has thankfully been reversed. Can AIB inform the committee at what board meeting that decision was taken?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Banking Issues: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Pearse Doherty: However, a member of AIB's board was nominated by the Minister. Is that correct?