Results 1,121-1,140 of 9,090 for speaker:Jack Chambers

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Code (4 Jul 2024)

Jack Chambers: Both my colleagues, the Ministers, Deputies Peter Burke and Catherine Martin, have extensively engaged with the tourism and hospitality sector. I know that my colleague, Deputy McGrath, when he was Minister recently met the sector also. That is why the Government responded in budget 2024 with the increased cost of business grant, which aims to provide financial support to small and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Code (4 Jul 2024)

Jack Chambers: I know that extensive work was done towards the latter end of last year, in which the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, was involved in his previous role. That is why we responded with the increased cost of business scheme and also providing for the other ranges of support which the Minister, Deputy Burke, has advanced around the national minimum wage and having the lower rate of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Vacant Properties (4 Jul 2024)

Jack Chambers: The VHT was announced in budget 2023 and legislated for in the Finance Act 2022. The key objective of this tax is to increase the supply of homes for rent or purchase by encouraging the owners of vacant, habitable residential properties to bring those properties back into use. The tax applies to properties which are residential properties for the purposes of local property tax, LPT....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Vacant Properties (4 Jul 2024)

Jack Chambers: Tackling vacancy is a key priority for the Government and is part of the wider Housing for All strategy. The Deputy has submitted a question on this to my colleague, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. As to the Deputy's question about the Revenue Commissioners, they are engaged around the VHT. It is collected on a self-assessment basis and applies under specific criteria. We have a range of other...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Vacant Properties (4 Jul 2024)

Jack Chambers: The Department of Finance has engaged regularly with the Department of housing. The review of the derelict sites levy is also an important context. A number of practical challenges have been identified in addressing dereliction, such as difficulties in identifying properties and their owners. That is one challenge. This tax itself is part of a broader suite of measures which is being...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (4 Jul 2024)

Jack Chambers: I thank the Deputies for raising this issue. I accept the ongoing frustration leading to both points that have been made. We are pursuing the reform of this in the context of the structure that has been established in the Department of the Taoiseach. As I said to Deputy Pringle earlier, I will be pursuing a timeline on the matter when the report is received. To respond to Deputy...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Universal Social Charge (4 Jul 2024)

Jack Chambers: The USC plays a vital part in meeting many of the expenditure demands placed on the Exchequer. At over €5 billion, its yield is an important source of revenue for funding all of our public services and, as such, I have no plans to abolish it. It is important to point out that, in 2016, joint research by the Department of Finance and the ESRI found that the USC represented a more...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Universal Social Charge (4 Jul 2024)

Jack Chambers: I have set out the position. USC is an important revenue source for funding many of our public services. To make this proposal cost neutral would require significant changes. For example, the proposal would have the effect of increasing the top marginal rates of tax for PAYE and self-employed income earners from 52% and 55% to 60.5% and 63.5%, respectively. A significant increase in high...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Universal Social Charge (4 Jul 2024)

Jack Chambers: Assuming he can tax everyone and every corporation on the basis that they will stay is farcical.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (4 Jul 2024)

Jack Chambers: I propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 81 together. The Deputy should note that my Department and I share concerns that the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme, DDS, is no longer fit for purpose and believe it should be replaced with a needs-based, grant-led approach for necessary vehicular adaptations that could serve to improve the functional mobility of the individual....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (4 Jul 2024)

Jack Chambers: I will answer Deputy Moynihan first. Extensive work is ongoing involving the Department with the group established by the Department of the Taoiseach. As I said to Deputy Pringle earlier, it is crucial that we try to make progress in this area. It has been going on for too long with too many reports and not enough progress for people who require the reform. Extensive work will now start...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Vehicle Registration Tax (4 Jul 2024)

Jack Chambers: I will pursue a timeline on this. It is in the interests of my Department and the collective interests of people we represent in our constituencies to find a way forward on this. I assure the Deputy I will pursue that with the group established in the Department of the Taoiseach. The group will report in the autumn and we need to see progress on it in the aftermath of that. I take the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Banking Sector (4 Jul 2024)

Jack Chambers: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The Department of Finance's retail banking review published in November 2022 concluded that cash still has an important place in our economy and it recommended that the Department of Finance develop access to cash legislation to establish a framework to ensure that the future evolution of cash infrastructure in the State will be managed in a fair,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Banking Sector (4 Jul 2024)

Jack Chambers: I agree with the Deputy's points, particularly with regard to rural communities and the regions. That is why a specified percentage of the population must be no less than 5 km and no more than 10 km from an ATM. There must be a specified number of ATMs per 100,000 people and a specified percentage of the population must be within 10 km of a cash service point. These are locations where...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Universal Social Charge (4 Jul 2024)

Jack Chambers: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The universal social charge was designed and incorporated into the Irish taxation system in 2011 to replace two other charges - the health and income levies. The primary purpose of the USC was to widen the tax base and provide steady income to the Exchequer to provide funding for public services. The USC is an individualised tax, meaning that a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tax Code (4 Jul 2024)

Jack Chambers: To give some context, the VAT rate for hospitality in Ireland compares favourably to our nearest neighbour, as Britain and Northern Ireland maintain a 20% VAT rate for the sector. Across the whole EU, Ireland is one of 14 countries with a rate at 12% or higher for hospitality. On accommodation, Ireland is one of seven member states that have a rate at 12% or higher. The Government has...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tax Code (4 Jul 2024)

Jack Chambers: We will engage with the business community. It is important to say that the context now is different from it was during the Covid pandemic and the very high and difficult levels of inflation we experienced in the economy. We are entering a more regular budgetary environment. We will set out more on that the summer economic statement next week. With inflation easing, we expect the domestic...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Vehicle Registration Tax (4 Jul 2024)

Jack Chambers: I thank Deputy Pringle for asking this question about the disabled and disabled passengers scheme, DDS. This scheme provides relief from VRT and VAT on the use of an adapted car, as well as an exemption from motor tax and an annual fuel grant. The scheme is open to severely and permanently disabled persons, as defined, who meet one of six medical criteria as a driver or as a passenger and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Vehicle Registration Tax (4 Jul 2024)

Jack Chambers: I accept and acknowledge that this matter has been going on for too long and too many years without an outcome and that it is impacting many people across our country. As I said, I have been informed that significant work is now ongoing on this issue, led by the Department of the Taoiseach, and we expect a report on that in the autumn. It is about giving effect to and trying to make...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fuel Prices (4 Jul 2024)

Jack Chambers: I am not sure what question the Deputy is asking. Is he talking about the actual parliamentary question he asked or is he asking about the date of the budget? As he knows, Sinn Féin called for an earlier budget two years ago when we were responding to the cost-of-living challenges. We have to submit our wider fiscal and budgetary framework to the European Commission, as he will be...