Results 8,461-8,480 of 16,537 for speaker:Brian Lenihan Jnr

Recapitalisation of Credit Institutions: Statements (18 Dec 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Last weekend, the Government announced that it is prepared to support, alongside existing shareholders and private investors, a recapitalisation programme of up to €10 billion for credit institutions in Ireland. I want to set out the reasons for this announcement. At the outset, I want to make clear that this is a measured response to the dynamics of international capital markets, where...

Written Answers — International Monetary Fund: International Monetary Fund (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The IMF has not announced a Balance of Payment assistance package for Latvia. However, the IMF has indicated that Latvia is experiencing a sharp downturn in output growth and external funding pressures and that accordingly the Latvian authorities have asked the Fund, together with the EU, to provide technical and financial support. Under Council Regulation 332/2002, the EU can grant...

Written Answers — Counterfeit Currency: Counterfeit Currency (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Information on euro banknote counterfeiting is published biannually by the European Central Bank (ECB) in January and July. The following table published by the ECB on 10 July 2008, indicates the half-yearly trend in the number of counterfeits recovered: Period 2003/2 2004/1 2004/2 2005/1 2005/2 2006/1 2006/2 2007/1 2007/2 2008/1 1000s 312 307 287 293 286 300 265 265 296 312 Number of...

Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that Section 131(6)(a) of the Finance Act 1992 provides that the identifying mark (i.e. the registration number) assigned to a vehicle, once registered in the State, must be displayed in the format prescribed by the Revenue Commissioners. Under section 139 of the Finance Act 1992 (as amended), the display of an identification mark (number plate) in...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The position is that the income levy will apply to gross income but this excludes social welfare payments and the contributory and non-contributory State pensions.

Written Answers — Departmental Property: Departmental Property (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Following is the information requested by the Deputy. Year Device Type Reported lost/ missing/stolen Recovered 2008 USB Memory Stick 1 0 To date in 2008, one memory stick has been reported stolen and has not been recovered. I understand that no sensitive or private data was compromised with the loss of this device.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: In general civil servants whose work requires them to stay overnight at a location distant from their home or headquarters are paid a fixed sum which is designed to cover the cost of accommodation, three meals and a small amount for incidentals. There are different rates for different locations. Accommodation is generally arranged by the officers themselves and in most cases my department is...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: In general, where an overnight stay is required, the staff of my Department and agencies are paid a fixed sum which covers overnight expenses i.e. the cost of accommodation, three meals and a small amount for incidentals. However, to take account of the wide variation in circumstances that can arise with foreign travel, in some cases, instead of an overall subsistence rate, the cost of the...

Written Answers — Departmental Property: Departmental Property (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the following table. No servers are leased by my Department and I have been informed that this is the case in relation to the bodies under the aegis of my Department. Number of Servers Capacity — Gigabytes Department of Finance 29 1 – 100 20 101 – 200 18 201 – 300 5 301 – 400 9 401 – 500 2 501 – 600 6 601 – 700...

Written Answers — Surrender of Salary: Surrender of Salary (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The main groups that have made a surrender of salary are Members of the Government, Ministers of State, Secretaries General and holders of posts at an equivalent level in the Civil Service. Other groups that have made a surrender of salary include certain members of the Oireachtas and a number of individual senior public servants. As the gifts are personal and voluntary it would not be...

Written Answers — Tax Clearance Certificates: Tax Clearance Certificates (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that a tax clearance certificate will normally be issued within six working days to a person whose tax affairs are up to date. This means that at the time of the application, the person: has made all of the required returns to Revenue, and has paid all tax known to be due or agreed a payment schedule in respect of such tax debts. Where an applicant...

Written Answers — Tax Clearance Certificates: Tax Clearance Certificates (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that a tax clearance certificate issued to the person concerned dated 12th December 2008.

Written Answers — Banking Sector: Banking Sector (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Nobody wants a situation where viable businesses fail because banks will not lend them money. At my meetings with certain financial institutions over the last two weeks, I asked those institutions covered by the Government's guarantee Scheme to consider the contribution that they can make to the economy through appropriate credit initiatives in relation to small and medium sized businesses...

Written Answers — Tax Yield: Tax Yield (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the total identifiable costs to the Exchequer of all income tax credits and reliefs available to individuals are set out in the following table for the income tax years 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005, the most recent year for which the necessary detailed information is available except where otherwise stated. Relevant notes relating to items in the...

Written Answers — Tax Yield: Tax Yield (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the information requested in relation to the main tax credits and reliefs available to businesses under the Income Tax Acts for which estimates of cost can be provided is as set out in the following table. The information provided covers the period from 2002 to 2006, the latest year for which most of the necessary detailed data is available....

Written Answers — Budget 2009: Budget 2009 (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: As I stated in my replies to oral questions last week, all indications are that economic activity in 2009 will contract by significantly more than the forecast in the recent Budget with an overall contraction of perhaps somewhere in the region of 3 to 4 per cent. At Budget time, I identified that there were significant risks to the economic and fiscal forecasts for 2008 and for 2009. The...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Group will report to me every two months and will submit a final report to me by the end of June 2009. The Special Group's analysis and recommendations will assist me and my Government colleagues to identify economies which can be made on the scale necessary to ensure that the public finances are brought under control in a short and economically prudent timeframe. The Group's...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The remuneration arrangements, insofar as any apply, for members of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes are expected to be finalised in the New Year.

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Special Group's primary focus is on examining all programmes funded through public expenditure and to identify options for savings in the context of the Government's fiscal objectives as set out in Budget 2009. As such, tax incentives, credits or reliefs do not come under the remit of the group.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: There are currently 614 people (whole time equivalents) employed in my Department. There are currently 57 officers who hold degrees in Economics and related disciplines, 44 who hold a Masters qualification in Economics and related disciplines, and 1 officer who holds a PhD. Some officers will, of course, be included in more than 1 of these categories. There are 7 officers with professional...