Results 10,581-10,600 of 32,547 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Cabinet Committees (13 Oct 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I can assure the Deputy that insurance reform is a key policy priority for this Government and is strongly reflected in the Programme for Government (PfG). In this regard following approval by Government a sub-Group of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Recovery and Investment was formed and has already met. In relation to insurance, there are a number of areas that require reform and this...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (13 Oct 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 94 and 95 together. Over the course of the year, the Government has responded to the pandemic by putting in place measures to address its impact on people, on firms and on sectors. Amongst the largest measures are the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme and the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. These measures will continue to apply if the country moves to a higher...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Mortgage Schemes (13 Oct 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: When a consumer takes out a loan from a regulated lender it is subject to all relevant Irish and EU consumer protections. Most loan agreements include a clause that allows the loan to be sold to another firm. When a loan is sold, the relevant Irish and EU consumer protections continue to apply. All mortgages or loans which are sold or assigned to a new creditor will continue to be subject...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Motor Insurance (13 Oct 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: At the outset, while I have an appreciation of the specific issue the Deputy raises, neither I, nor the Central Bank of Ireland, can direct the pricing of insurance products, as this is a commercial matter, nor can we compel any insurer operating in the Irish market to provide cover. This position is reinforced by the EU Single Market framework for insurance (the Solvency II Directive) which...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Wage Subsidy Scheme (13 Oct 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) ceased on 31 August 2020 and was replaced by the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) from 1 September 2020. When operational, the TWSS supported more than 66,000 employers in respect of approximately 664,000 employees at a cost of almost €2.9 billion to the Exchequer. The Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid 19) Act assigned...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (13 Oct 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The restart grant and restart grant plus are a contribution towards the cost of re-opening or keeping a business operational and re-connecting with employees and customers. I am advised by Revenue that in the case of a sole trader who is within the charge to income tax, such a grant would be taken into account in computing amounts chargeable to income tax. The tax treatment of the grant...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (13 Oct 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Stay and Spend scheme provides tax relief by means of a tax credit at the rate of 20% on qualifying expenditure of up to €625 per person, or €1,250 for a jointly assessed couple, in respect of 2020 and 2021. The tax credit is worth a maximum of €125, or €250 for a jointly assessed couple. As the Deputy will be aware, the Stay and Spend scheme is just one...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (13 Oct 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The design of the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) reflects the changing environment around the COVID-19 pandemic which has shifted from crisis mode to one of living alongside the virus, in line with the recently announced Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19. The Government’s focus has therefore shifted from an employee income support paid via...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Value Added Tax (13 Oct 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: As per my response on 6 October 2020 I am advised by Revenue that under the terms of the Diesel Rebate Scheme (DRS), qualifying road transport operators submit their claims, via an online system, during the three months following when the transaction took place. Once the claims are received by Revenue, they are normally processed and paid within eight weeks following completion of the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Bank Charges (13 Oct 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: All credit institutions in Ireland are independent commercial entities and the imposition of bank fees and charges are decisions to be made by the boards and management of individual banks which need to be run on an independent and commercial basis. You will be aware that, as Minister for Finance, I have no statutory role in relation to the charges applied by credit institutions. Under...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs (13 Oct 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The 2020 Programme for Government: Our Shared Futurecontains several commitments related to working from home, including an examination of the “feasibility and merits of changing tax arrangements to encourage more people to work remotely”, the responsibility for which falls to my Department. There is also a commitment to the development of a ”national remote working...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Value Added Tax (13 Oct 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, it is a longstanding practice of the Minister for Finance not to comment, in advance of the Budget, on any tax matters that might be the subject of Budget decisions.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Wage Subsidy Scheme (13 Oct 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 109 together. The Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) ceased on 31 August 2020 and was replaced by the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) from 1 September 2020. When operational, the TWSS supported more than 66,000 employers in respect of approximately 664,000 employees at a cost of €2.9 billion to the Exchequer. The TWSS was...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Help-To-Buy Scheme (13 Oct 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: With regard to actual housing completions this year, I am conscious that there is likely to be a significant shortfall in 2020 as compared with the targets which were envisaged in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. It is important therefore that we continue to focus on the delivery of additional housing supply. The enhancement to the Help-to-Buy (HTB) Scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Forms (13 Oct 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy is aware, Revenue has extended the deadline for customers to file their 2019 self-assessed income tax return and make the appropriate payment in respect of preliminary tax for 2020 and any income tax balance due for 2019. The due date has been extended by four weeks from 12 November 2020 to 10 December 2020. To qualify for the extension, customers must both pay and file...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (13 Oct 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: Section 848A of the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997 provides that where an individual makes a charitable donation, the approved charitable body receiving it can claim a refund of income tax paid on that donation at a blended 'grossed-up' rate of 31%. The requirements of the scheme include: - A minimum donation of €250 per annum must be made; - The donor or anyone connected with the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Primary Medical Certificates (8 Oct 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The terms of the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations 1994 set out the following medical criteria, and that one or more of these criteria is required to be satisfied in order to obtain a PMC: - be wholly or almost wholly without the use of both legs; - be wholly without the use of one leg and almost wholly without the use of the other leg such that...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (8 Oct 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Stay and Spend scheme provides tax relief by means of a tax credit at the rate of 20% on qualifying expenditure of up to €625 per person, or €1,250 for a jointly assessed couple, in respect of 2020 and 2021. The tax credit is worth a maximum of €125, or €250 for a jointly assessed couple. The purpose of the Stay and Spend scheme is to incentivise taxpayers to...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme (8 Oct 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 to 115, inclusive, and 119 together. 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. The cost of the scheme in 2019, excluding motor tax, was €72m. The Scheme is open to severely and...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Contracts (8 Oct 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: My department has entered into contracts with public relations agencies and public relations consultants during 2019 and to date in 2020 as outlined in the following table: Year Description Amount 2019 Daniel J Edelman Ireland Limited. Provision of specialist advice on the use of social media in an international context for the...