Results 901-920 of 1,974 for speaker:Arthur Spring

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Eligibility (26 Nov 2013)

Arthur Spring: 575. To ask the Minister for Health if an applicant for the over-70s medical card who is a PAYE employee is permitted a reduction in the means test for travel-to-work costs incurred by that applicant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50158/13]

Leaders' Questions (21 Nov 2013)

Arthur Spring: Correct.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Proposed Changes to Pay and File Tax Date: Discussion with Irish Tax Institute (20 Nov 2013)

Arthur Spring: I welcome the representatives of the Irish Tax Institute. I appreciate their presentation. Perhaps I will sound like a broken record if I focus on the issues of compliance and cash flow. As Mr. Redmond said, we are talking about €30 million in money terms. During the institute's consultation process, what was identified as the reason this is anticipated to be brought forward? As a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Proposed Changes to Pay and File Tax Date: Discussion with Irish Tax Institute (20 Nov 2013)

Arthur Spring: Historically, forecasting is not something we have got right in this country. Over the last three years, however, the Department of Finance's projection of the likely tax take has been very accurate by comparison with how it ended up. Over the past four or five years, there was one major year when the projection was inaccurate. In 2008, the projected return was something like €3...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Proposed Changes to Pay and File Tax Date: Discussion with Irish Tax Institute (20 Nov 2013)

Arthur Spring: I am coming at this from several perspectives. I am a former banker. I own a small business. If my accountant asked me to project sales levels in my business, I would have to point out they are largely determined by the tourism season and by weather forecasting. Anybody who has read The Mayor of Casterbridge will recall Henchard saying that only "a fool" would bet on what the weather will...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Applications (20 Nov 2013)

Arthur Spring: 214. To ask the Minister for Health his views on whether it is necessary for an applicant for a medical card who is in receipt of a farm assist payment to provide a letter from revenue with the application stating that the applicant is not liable for tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49756/13]

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Arthur Spring: Deputy Murphy asked both questions. He estimates it may be €60-----

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Arthur Spring: How much did the FOI request that Deputy Boyd Barrett made cost to research?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Arthur Spring: That is outrageous.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Arthur Spring: They are all the one, are they?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Forthcoming ECOFIN Council: Discussion with Minister for Finance (13 Nov 2013)

Arthur Spring: There are three issues I wish to raise. I presume there will be discussion on Friday in regard to the standard VAT return. When people hear the European Union talk about standardisation and taxation, they are concerned. Are some of the countries bordering Germany considering the idea of a standardised VAT rate? Has that been discussed or is there any sentiment towards that? It is a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Forthcoming ECOFIN Council: Discussion with Minister for Finance (13 Nov 2013)

Arthur Spring: Is there anybody within the group pushing for change? For example, in the area of corporation tax we have seen some of our fellow European citizens push for a change in our corporation tax. Is there any sign that anybody is pushing for a change in regard to VAT or is the change strictly for administration purposes?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Forthcoming ECOFIN Council: Discussion with Minister for Finance (13 Nov 2013)

Arthur Spring: That is good to hear. I believe the Minister and some of his colleagues were able to achieve the break on the promissory note and on the interest rate notes without these being formally on the agenda of ECOFIN. Can I presume we are still trying to do something about recapitalising the banks from the ESM and that this is not being done through ECOFIN?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Forthcoming ECOFIN Council: Discussion with Minister for Finance (13 Nov 2013)

Arthur Spring: Are we still pursuing that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Forthcoming ECOFIN Council: Discussion with Minister for Finance (13 Nov 2013)

Arthur Spring: That might seem like good news, because we got the deal on the promissory note and on the interest rate. With regard to sentiment towards Ireland, the Minister said that the attitude taken by many is that Ireland is doing fine. I have heard this from many organisations and from colleagues within the social democratic movement. However, I believe there is an overly optimistic view in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Forthcoming ECOFIN Council: Discussion with Minister for Finance (13 Nov 2013)

Arthur Spring: Yes. I believe that when the European Union looks at Ireland, it looks at it from a macro-economic perspective. One of the barometers that might resonate with Europe is the level of emigration. Perhaps we should ask the French or Germans what would happen in their countries if 8% of their population had to emigrate to find work someplace else? We need to impress this human dimension upon...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Forthcoming ECOFIN Council: Discussion with Minister for Finance (13 Nov 2013)

Arthur Spring: One of the things I impressed upon the troika in regard to emigration was that Irish people emigrate to the Anglophone countries, Canada, America, New Zealand and Australia more than we do to Germany, Spain or elsewhere.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (13 Nov 2013)

Arthur Spring: 96. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the entitlement to contributory pension a person has if that person has ten continuous years of paid reckonable contributions from age 55 to 65, if previous legislation entitled a person with such a contribution history to a full contributory pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48568/13]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Local Property Tax: Discussion with Revenue (7 Nov 2013)

Arthur Spring: People who are looking in will ask what the Revenue Commissioners have learned from today. Ms Feehily has said she will acknowledge problems that exist and will consider resolving them. What are the potential solutions?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Local Property Tax: Discussion with Revenue (7 Nov 2013)

Arthur Spring: It is about time he fired back.