Results 11,461-11,480 of 32,602 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

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...

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

Paschal Donohoe: I am not aware of the status of that post. I will find out for the Deputy and I will write to her.

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

Paschal Donohoe: I thank Deputy Harkin. The Deputy heard my response on Sligo Garda station. I know where the building is. I have not been in it but clearly the kind of debate we are having about it here today would not be happening unless the building itself needed an awful lot of change. I heard what all of the Deputies had to say about that. Deputy Harkin referred to Jamestown. I am not in a position...

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

Paschal Donohoe: I imagine that if the Minister of State, Kevin Boxer Moran, is listening to this debate, he is listening rather ruefully given the amount of recognition he is receiving here this evening for all his great work. The interdepartmental group meets regularly. It was chaired by the Minister of State, Kevin Boxer Moran.

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

Paschal Donohoe: I do not know when it met last. It is a fair question to ask. I will find out and share that with the Deputy. I will get the OPW to write to her with that information. Are the minutes available for it? They are internal minutes and I imagine they are available in some format for the Deputy if she wishes to see them. The proof of how active that interdepartmental group has been is the...

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

Paschal Donohoe: If the Deputy lists the particular road projects he is referring to and makes that information available to me, I will come back to him with an update. On Lough Funshinagh and the difficulties with turloughs, the OPW has provided funding to Roscommon County Council to explore whether any feasible engineering options are available. The OPW expects a final report from the county council on...