Results 11,661-11,680 of 32,547 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Estimates for Public Services 2020 - Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Revised Estimate) (28 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputies for their questions. I will respond to the ones that were most common from all the contributions and deal with the other questions via correspondence. Several speakers raised the issue of women who were on maternity leave and are now looking to come back to work and access the wage subsidy scheme. I want to confirm to the House that I aim to bring a proposal to the...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 - Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Revised Estimate) (28 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: My understanding of the format is that I am not making a statement at this point and that it is up to other Members to make statements or put questions to me.

Estimates for Public Services 2020 - Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Revised Estimate) (28 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I move: That a sum not exceeding €16,298,646,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2020, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, for certain services administered by that Office, for payments to the Social Insurance Fund and for...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (27 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) is provided for in section 28 of the recently enacted Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 (The Act). The underlying legislation and the TWSS itself were developed having regard to the Government objective of providing assistance to employers and employees, where businesses have been seriously affected by the Covid 19...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Property Tax (27 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that liability for local property tax for a particular year is to be established on a single date. This is a statutory requirement contained in sections 3 and 16 of the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012 (as amended). Section 2 of the Act defines the "liability date" of a given year as the 1 November of the preceding year. Liability for Local...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (27 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 38, 39, 43, 51, 56, 70, 79 and 86 together. The Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) is a temporary emergency measure to deal with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy, intended to maximise staff retention and firm viability by maintaining the link between the employer and employee insofar as is possible through this truly exceptional period....

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Insurance Coverage (27 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I appreciate that many people with premises due to re-open in the current environment have genuine concerns regarding whether they will have insurance cover for claims relating to COVID-19, including those involved in tourism such as guesthouses or other forms of accommodation. Whether a person’s property insurance provides cover for such claims will depend on the specifics of his/her...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Tax Credits (27 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: Childcare services relief is an income tax exemption that is available to individuals who provide childminding services in their own homes. The legislation dealing with the relief is contained in section 216C of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997. In order to qualify for the relief, the individual providing the childminding services must – - not receive more than €15,000 income...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (27 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) is an economy-wide scheme that was introduced on 26 March 2020 to provide income support to eligible employees where the employer’s business activities have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. I am aware of the concerns raised regarding the impact of COVID-19 on individual sectors of the economy and I note the some concerns have...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Vehicle Registration (27 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that, in respect of registrations and examinations carried out in the National Car Testing Service Centres, a resumption proposal has been submitted by the Road Safety Authority to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport that would see a limited number of Centres resume on 8 June 2020 for NCT testing. If this resumption proposal is accepted...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Tourism Industry (27 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Government is fully aware of the unprecedented impact that the coronavirus is having on business and people’s livelihoods. In this regard a range of measures have been introduced to provide income support to those who need it while also giving confidence to employers to retain the link with employees so that when this crisis passes - and it will pass – our people can get...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Primary Medical Certificates (27 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Scheme provides relief from VAT and VRT (up to a certain limit) on the purchase of an adapted car for transport of a person with specific severe and permanent physical disabilities, payment of a Fuel Grant, and an exemption from Motor Tax. To qualify for the Scheme an applicant must be in possession of a Primary Medical...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (27 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) was legislated for in section 28 of the recently enacted Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020. Deputies will be aware that the 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 really quickly, having...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Health Insurance (27 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The position is that tax relief is available already for dental treatment as set out beneath. Section 470 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 provides for income tax relief, at the standard rate, to individuals who pay for medical insurance to an approved insurer. Qualifying medical insurance policies can be for health insurance, dental insurance and health and dental insurance...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Tax Reliefs Application (27 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: Tax relief in respect of health expenses is provided for under section 469 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997. Section 469 defines "health expenses" as "expenses in respect of the provision of health care including the services of a practitioner". For the purposes of Section 469, health care does not include routine dental treatment. Where an individual incurs health expenses in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Tax Reliefs Eligibility (27 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: As I indicated to the Deputy in the question to which he refers, it is established Government practice to use exemptions or incentives in the tax system in limited circumstances where there are demonstrable market failures and where a tax-based incentive is more efficient than a direct expenditure intervention. Despite the recent developments brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, it is...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Wage Subsidy Scheme (27 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that all cases which have applied for refunds under the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) and which were rejected on the basis of failing to meet the eligibility criteria are reviewed by Revenue. The TWSS builds on data returned to Revenue through its real-time PAYE system. It must be accepted that the underlying legislation and the scheme itself cannot be tailored...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (27 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) is provided for in section 28 of the recently enacted Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020. In the context of the need for immediate implementation of the TWSS, the scheme necessarily had to build on data returned to Revenue through its real-time PAYE system. The key conditions of the scheme, as prescribed in the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Insurance Industry (27 May 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 also with regard to whether forbearance and other flexible measures are being offered to them. I and my officials have been engaging with the sector in an effort to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (27 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy will be aware that the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) was legislated for in section 28 of the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 and that the 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...