Results 11,401-11,420 of 32,547 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Help-To-Buy Scheme (30 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The definition of first time buyer in the Help to Buy scheme (HTB) is as follows: 'first-time purchaser' means an individual who, at the time of a claim under subsection (3) has not, either individually or jointly with any other person, previously purchased or previously built, directly or indirectly, on his or her own behalf a dwelling;  The intention is to target HTB...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Industry (30 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: These are extraordinary times, and I believe that all sectors must play their role in ensuring that we, as a country, get through them. In view of this, I and my officials have been engaging with the insurance industry through Insurance Ireland in regards to forbearance measures particularly for business customers.  In addition, the Deputy will be aware that at a meeting on 17 April with...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Value Added Tax (30 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 77 together. The VAT rating of goods and services is subject to the requirements of the EU VAT Directive, with which Irish VAT law must comply. Under the Directive, Ireland can and does apply a reduced rate of VAT, currently 13.5%, to supplies by yoga studios. The Directive does not permit the application of a rate below 12% to the supply of such...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Industry (30 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: As outlined in my previous reply to the Deputy on this issue, I am aware that there have been many concerns expressed about how the insurance industry is responding to the needs of its business policyholders in these difficult times. However I am not in a position to adjudicate as it is very much a matter for the insurer based on the merits and specifics of each case. For instance, on a...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Wage Subsidy Scheme (30 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) is an emergency measure to deal with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy.  Of necessity, the underlying legislation and the scheme itself were developed quickly, having regard to the objective of getting assistance to employers and employees, where businesses have been seriously affected by the pandemic. The amount of subsidy...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Pension Provisions (30 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: In relation to the Deputy’s proposal to allow people access a portion of their pension fund before retirement, the long established policy of providing tax relief for pension contributions is to encourage saving by employers, employees and the self-employed towards their retirement income. A repayment of contributions is only permitted in highly limited circumstances, for...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Wealth Audit (30 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 65 to 67, inclusive, together. My Department monitors trends in household income on an ongoing basis. Information in respect of these trends is captured in the annual Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) produced by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).The most recent 2018 SILC data indicates that the median household disposable income was...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Mortgage Lending (30 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Central Bank has advised that it expects all regulated firms to take a consumer-focused approach and to act in their customers’ best interests at all times, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, and my Department maintains close contact with the Central Bank and Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) as the lending industry works to address...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Mortgage Lending (30 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Central Bank has advised that it expects all regulated firms to take a consumer-focused approach and to act in their customers’ best interests at all times, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, and my Department maintains close contact with the Central Bank and Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) as the lending industry works to address...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs (30 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: A review of the appropriate treatment for tax purposes of trade union subscriptions and professional body fees was carried out by my Department in 2016, and included in the 2016 report on tax expenditures published on Budget day 2016. The review concluded that: "...analysis of the scheme using the principles laid down by the Department’s Tax Expenditure Guidelines shows that...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Staff (30 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to advise the Deputy, that on 23rd March 2020 my Department issued an interim working from home policy document to staff to address health and safety issues in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.  In addition the Department has to date issued seven (7) Health and Wellness bulletins publication to staff to assist and advise on best practices when working from home and...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Mortgage Lending (30 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Central Bank has statutory responsibility for the regulation of mortgage lending by banks and other regulated entities and, in line with its independent mandate to preserve and protect financial stability in Ireland, it introduced macro-prudential measures for residential mortgage lending by such institutions in February 2015. The objective of these mortgage measures is to increase the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Wage Subsidy Scheme (30 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) is a fully automated solution that is dependent on timely payroll data being provided by employers to Revenue through the real-time PAYE reporting system in accordance with legislative obligations. The system specifically requires that eligible employees were on the employer payroll on 29 February 2020 and that the employer reported the February...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Coverage (30 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I am aware that there have been many concerns expressed about how the insurance industry is responding to the needs of its business policyholders in these difficult times, in terms of honouring business interruption claims and with regard to whether forbearance and other flexible measures are being offered to them. I have considerable sympathy for such policyholders. Whilst I have no...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Employment Data (30 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 80 together. Regarding Question 13652/20, I am advised by Revenue that the available information on income distribution is published at link: . This information provides a breakdown of income taxpayers in 2016 and 2017 by range of gross income and by taxpayer type (PAYE or self-employed) and provides data on both incomes and tax liability. Regarding...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Company Data (30 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I have assumed that the Deputy's question relates to companies registered for tax in Ireland.  Revenue's latest annual report on corporation tax was published on 25 June 2020. The Corporation Tax 2019 Payments and 2018 Returns report is based on Revenue's analysis of corporation tax payments in 2019 and corporation tax returns for 2018. The report includes...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: National Debt (30 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) has taken advantage of the favourable funding and interest rate environment of recent years to lengthen the maturity of the National Debt and lock-in the benefit of low interest rates.   Since the turn of 2015, the NTMA has issued €90 billion of medium- to long-term debt. This was issued in the form of standard benchmark bonds,...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Mortgage Lending (30 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Central Bank has advised that it expects all regulated firms to take a consumer-focused approach and to act in their customers’ best interests at all times, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, and my Department maintains close contact with the Central Bank and Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) as the lending industry works to address...

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (Resumed) (17 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: -----of the interdepartmental group.

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (Resumed) (17 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I am just going to answer the next question from the Deputy. The next question put to me by the Deputy was on the status of the coastal strategy. At the end of last year a group was put together to deliver that strategy. The group is chaired by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and the Office of Public Works, the OPW. I will come back to the Deputy on the status of...