Results 9,241-9,260 of 32,572 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Value Added Tax (3 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 223 and 224 together. The temporary reduction of the VAT rate on tourism and hospitality in Budget 2021 was projected at that time to cost €336m. The temporary reduction in the standard rate of VAT announced in the July Stimulus was projected to cost €440m. I am advised by Revenue that it is not yet possible to separately report the amount of...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Help-To-Buy Scheme (3 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: The Help to Buy (HTB) incentive was introduced in 2017. The measure is currently scheduled to expire on 31 December 2021. HTB gives a refund of Income Tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) paid in Ireland over the previous four years, subject to limits outlined in the legislation. An increase in the supply of new housing remains a priority aim of Government policy. The...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (3 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is a social welfare payment for workers (employees and self-employed) who are out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. PUP payments are classified in legislation as income supports and are subject to income tax. The taxation arrangements for the PUP were legislated for in Finance Act 2020. They reflect the standard approach to taxation of social...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Vehicle Registration Tax (3 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: The Disabled Drivers & Disabled Passengers Scheme provides relief from VRT and VAT on the purchase and use of an adapted car, as well as an exemption from motor tax and an annual fuel grant. Details of these reliefs and the grant in respect of fuel usage are available on the Revenue website at the following link: The relief from Value Added Tax and Vehicle Registration Tax are...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is a social welfare payment for workers (employees and self-employed) who are out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. PUP payments are classified in legislation as income supports and are subject to income tax. The taxation arrangements for the PUP were legislated for in Finance Act 2020. They reflect the standard approach to taxation of social...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Interest Rates (3 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy is aware, as Minister for Finance I have no role in the day to day operations of any bank operating within the State including banks in which the State has a shareholding. I'm precluded from intervening on behalf of any individual customer in any particular bank. Decisions in relation to commercial matters are the sole responsibility of the board and management of the banks,...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Incentives (3 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, I am not in a position to comment on specific taxpayers. However it should be noted that the details supplied refer to a matter occurring prior to 2015 and the Deputy will be aware that the film relief has been completely restructured since that time. Prior to 2015 the scheme provided tax relief to individuals investing in the film industry. In Finance Act 2015...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: National Broadband Plan (3 Mar 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to advise the Deputy that I have not engaged with National Broadband Ireland on any aspect of broadband provision in the past six months.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (25 Feb 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: The Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) was introduced on 26 March 2020 to provide income support to eligible employees where the employer’s business activities were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This scheme ended on 31 August 2020 and was replaced by the Employer Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS). The transitional phase of TWSS operated until 3 May 2020 and provided a...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Costs (25 Feb 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: I understand that the Deputy’s question relates to motor insurance. At the outset, it should be noted that neither I, nor the Central Bank of Ireland, can direct the pricing or policy conditions attached to insurance products, as this is a commercial matter. This position is reinforced by the EU Single Market framework for insurance (the Solvency II Directive) which expressly...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Banking Sector (25 Feb 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware one of the Government's key priorities is to ensure that viable SMEs continue to have access to credit from both bank and non-bank sources. However, the responsibility for competition policy rests with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) which is an independent statutory body that is...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Credit Unions (25 Feb 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: I met all of the representative bodies you refer to in September 2020, the third such meeting during 2020. In addition, Minister of State Fleming met two of the representative bodies you refer to in January 2021. The parties you refer to have outlined to us in these meetings their plans to support their members to grow lending, including through SME and mortgage lending and lending for...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Banking Sector (25 Feb 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy is aware, as Minister for Finance I have no role in the day to day operations of any bank operating within the State including banks in which the State has a shareholding. I'm precluded from intervening on behalf of any individual customer in any particular bank. Decisions in relation to commercial matters are the sole responsibility of the board and management of the banks,...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Home Renovation Incentive Scheme (25 Feb 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: The Home Renovation Incentive (HRI), the scheme was introduced by Section 477B of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 in 2014 and was terminated in accordance with its statutory sunset clause on 31 December 2018 having been extended twice before that and having been seen to have met its original objective viz. support for job creation in the construction sector in the wake of the financial...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (25 Feb 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is a social welfare payment for workers who have become unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. PUP payments are classified in legislation as income supports and are subject to income tax. The taxation arrangements for the PUP are provided for in Finance Act 2020 which reflects the standard approach to taxation of social welfare type payments, which...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Financial Services Regulation (25 Feb 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 44, 68 and 69 together. When loans are sold by Irish Banks, they are required to be sold to a Central Bank regulated entity. Since the introduction of the Consumer Protection (Regulation of Credit Servicing Firms) Act 2015, credit servicing firms have been subject to the provisions of Irish financial services law that apply to regulated financial...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (25 Feb 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: I am aware of concerns that have been raised regarding the pace of recovery for the aviation sector, and that it has been suggested that the level of support be increased and/or that the application of some of the new State supports should be delineated on the basis of explicit sectoral qualification criteria. However, the reality of COVID-19 is that our whole economy and labour market have...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (25 Feb 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: The objective of the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) is to support all employment and maintain the link between the employer and employee insofar as is possible. The EWSS has been a key component of the Government’s response to the continued Covid-19 crisis to support viable firms and encourage employment in the midst of these very challenging times. To date, subsidy payments of...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Help-To-Buy Scheme (25 Feb 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: The Help to Buy (HTB) incentive was introduced in 2017. The measure is currently scheduled to expire on 31 December 2021. HTB gives a refund of Income Tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) paid in Ireland over the previous four years, subject to limits outlined in the legislation. An increase in the supply of new housing remains a priority aim of Government policy. The...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Public Procurement Contracts (25 Feb 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: In relation to your question, it was not possible for the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) to respond to this information request in the time available, therefore, I will make arrangements to provide a response in line with Standing Orders. The NTMA has indicated that given the number of contracts to which it is party, it proposes to confine its response to active contracts...