Results 7,081-7,100 of 16,537 for speaker:Brian Lenihan Jnr

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (31 Mar 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 149 and 150 together. I am conscious of the decline in the motor industry in Ireland and internationally due to the contraction in economic activity. I and my officials have had meetings with representatives of the motor industry on the matter. In the case of second-hand cars a special VAT scheme is in place in Ireland. This special scheme was introduced...

Written Answers — Pension Levy: Pension Levy (31 Mar 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I propose to take Questions 151, 153, 154 and 170 together. Public servants who are members of public service pension schemes are liable to pay the pension-related deduction legislated for in the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009. On this basis, third-level researchers on fixed-term and temporary contracts must pay the deduction, since they are members of the...

Written Answers — Financial Institutions Support Scheme: Financial Institutions Support Scheme (31 Mar 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The terms of the guarantee provided to covered institutions are set out in the Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Scheme 2008, approved by the European Commission on 13 October, 2008, enacted by the Oireachtas on 17 October, 2008 under Section 6 of the Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Act 2008. Individual credit institutions became members of the scheme by executing a Guarantee...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (31 Mar 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The most recent year for which the necessary detailed information is available on the cost of tax relief for tuition fees is the income tax year 2005. The cost to the Exchequer is estimated at approximately €14.3 million and the number who availed of it was 29,900. I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the other information sought by the Deputy is not available. A married...

Written Answers — Financial Services Regulation: Financial Services Regulation (31 Mar 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Both the Minister for Finance and the Department of Finance have received a wide range of correspondence and reports from the Central Bank over the past nine years. The same applies to the Financial Regulator since it was established in May 2003. Allegations of overcharging have been made against various financial institutions over that period and were investigated by the Central Bank or...

Written Answers — Pension Levy: Pension Levy (31 Mar 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Deputy Wall has provided details of an individual but he will appreciate that I cannot comment on any particular case. I am fully aware of people's concerns following the introduction of the pension-related deduction. However, the key objective is the realisation of the savings needed from the public service pay bill, given the severe economic and budgetary circumstances we face. The...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (31 Mar 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Payment Services Directive (PSD) provides the necessary legal framework to support the development of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), a major payments industry initiative aimed at eliminating any remaining difference between domestic and cross-border payments within the eurozone. This Directive comes into effect on 1 November 2009 and my Department is currently working on draft...

Written Answers — Pension Levy: Pension Levy (31 Mar 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The pension-related deduction applies in respect of emoluments to which Chapter 4 of Part 42 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 applies and which are payable to public servants in respect of their services as such. As the representational payment is fully taxable and subject to that Chapter, the pension-related deduction applies to that payment. There is, therefore, no anomaly to address.

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (31 Mar 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: As a matter of policy, the Freedom of Information Act has not been extended to commercial State bodies for reasons associated with the need for such bodies to compete commercially. Commercial State bodies operate in a different environment to non-commercial State bodies. To bring a commercial State body under the Freedom of Information Act while other companies in the same sector remain...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (31 Mar 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: When a particular stamp duty relief for first-time purchasers was introduced into the tax code in the Finance (No. 2) Act 2000, the relief was also extended to spouses in certain circumstances, who, as a result of a judicial separation or divorce, left the family home to their other spouse and did not have an interest in any other property. As unmarried cohabiting couples cannot benefit from...

Written Answers — Financial Institutions Support Scheme: Financial Institutions Support Scheme (31 Mar 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Paragraph 47 of the Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Scheme 2008 provides that bonuses for directors or senior executives must be measurably linked to reductions in guarantee charges, reduction in excessive risk-taking and encouraging the long-term sustainability of the covered institutions. The Deputy will appreciate that in answering his question about bonuses to staff, the terms of...

Written Answers — Fiscal Policy: Fiscal Policy (31 Mar 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The National Treasury Management Agency advise me that interest due on bonds outstanding at present is as follows: Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 Interest due (€m) 1,827.600 1,266.703 1,234.553 1,074.483 Of course, any additional borrowing undertaken will increase the amount of future interest payments.

Written Answers — Fiscal Policy: Fiscal Policy (31 Mar 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The National Treasury Management Agency advise me that interest on the bonds issued in January and February 2009 will amount to €396 million in 2012. Another bond will not be required before April 2009. The NTMA auctioned €1 billion from existing series of medium- and long-term bonds last week. This was the first of a series of auctions planned for 2009 and it was oversubscribed,...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (31 Mar 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Deputy will be aware the issue of a carbon tax is being considered by the Commission on Taxation. The Commission is due to report by September 2009 at the latest. Given that the precise design of the carbon tax is yet to be determined as well as other factors including how exports and companies covered by the EU Emissions Trading System are to be treated, I do not propose to comment on...

Written Answers — Pension Levy: Pension Levy (31 Mar 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The public service pension-related deduction is being collected on a "week-1" basis. This is the same way in which PRSI has been collected for many years. It is also used for collection of the Income Levy. I am satisfied that, for most affected public servants, the payroll impact is, or will shortly be, averaged across individual payments. In other words the same amount broadly would be...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (31 Mar 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Relief for health expenses is allowed as a deduction at the standard rate of tax by way of review of liability at the end of the year. The relief is available as a refund of the amount of income tax paid by the taxpayer only. Where an individual's income tax liability has been reduced to zero or no income tax has been paid by a person for a tax year, he or she will have not be in a position...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (31 Mar 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Tax relief on health insurance contributions to authorised insurers is available under the tax relief at source system irrespective of whether the insured individual has a liability to income tax or not. Under the tax relief at source, the insured individual pays the subscription to the authorised insurer net of the standard rate of tax. The authorised insurer then gets payment of this...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (31 Mar 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Deputy will be aware that I have stated on numerous occasions that I would like to broaden the tax base applying to betting activity. Bets placed either online or over the phone are generally with out-of-State companies so applying betting duty is problematic. My officials, in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, are looking at...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (31 Mar 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The position is that Deserted Wife's Benefit payment is within the charge to income tax. The extent to which taxation actually arises in a given case depends on the amount of an individual's total income for tax purposes (including the deserted wife's benefit) in a tax year and the amount of tax credits to which that individual is entitled. I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that if...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (31 Mar 2009)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Transfers across the Civil Service are arranged by various mechanisms: 'Head-for Head' transfers which are organised between individual officers on the basis of personal contacts; the Central Applications Facility (CAF) for officers who wish to move to locations designated under the Decentralisation Programme and the 'Dublin Arrangements' which facilitate the backfilling of posts in Dublin...