Results 11,741-11,760 of 32,547 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Covid-19 (Finance): Statements (20 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes, indeed. I congratulate Deputy Ryan on her speech. I cannot give her information now as to what the future plans are for the status of that branch - it is not a decision I make - but I will certainly correspond with the bank and relay its answer back to her. Regarding the points Deputy Conway-Walsh made, the Central Bank has now engaged directly with the insurance industry on many...

Covid-19 (Finance): Statements (20 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: We remain, and I hope the next government will remain, committed to many of the projects in Project Ireland 2040. We will have to look at allocations for capital and for particular projects, not just because of the direct effect of Covid on where we are but also because of some of the issues Deputy McGuinness has raised. I remain committed to projects that are there, but the new Government...

Covid-19 (Finance): Statements (20 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: Before I answer the question, I will respond to the Deputy's assertion on the answer I gave a moment ago. It sometimes seems that Sinn Féin thinks it is the only party that can make political points about anything. What I was saying to the Deputy was reaffirming what Sinn Féin heard from the Revenue Commissioners. It is my intention that all people will be treated equally under...

Covid-19 (Finance): Statements (20 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: Does the Ceann Comhairle want me to respond to Deputies McGuinness and Lahart?

Covid-19 (Finance): Statements (20 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: To respond to Deputy Lahart first, I met Insurance Ireland a fortnight ago. I met the CEOs of all the insurance companies earlier in the year but that was pre-Covid. I have met the Alliance for Insurance Reform and I plan to meet both the alliance and Insurance Ireland again in the coming weeks. My message to the insurance sector is that there was no difference between advice the...

Covid-19 (Finance): Statements (20 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: It was because of the legislation that I was able to make the change I did to the level of subsidy that would be available for participants in the wage subsidy scheme at different levels of income. The decision I made then, by offering guidance to the Revenue Commissioners, did not change the eligibility criteria for the scheme or the number of people who were able to access the scheme and...

Covid-19 (Finance): Statements (20 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Revenue Commissioners have indicated that this tax liability will be dealt with very carefully and over a number of years.

Covid-19 (Finance): Statements (20 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes. In the meeting we had with the banks we put that to them. However, a number of them had already indicated that an extension to the time by which the loan could be repaid might be a better way for some loan owners to deal with the issue of the management of the repayment of debt. I am not aware at the moment of any bank that is not complying with that. If it is the case, and it may...

Covid-19 (Finance): Statements (20 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I am aware of the matter and I have seen the work that has been done on it, in particular by theIrish Examiner, which has been examining this issue. My view is that participation in the wage subsidy scheme should not be a reason for treating an applicant in a different way. What I expect to happen is that if somebody's income has come down as a result of what has happened with Covid-19, the...

Covid-19 (Finance): Statements (20 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: This issue gained some prominence a few days after the wage subsidy scheme was launched. I acknowledge the co-operation of this House in allowing the passage of the wage subsidy scheme such that we now have over 400,000 citizens depending on a job because of that wage subsidy scheme and over 50,000 employers. In its absence, our live register and pandemic unemployment payment recipient...

Covid-19 (Finance): Statements (20 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I am very much aware of this as an issue and of course the intention of the legislation was to treat all of our citizens and employees equally. It is the case that the description of payroll in the primary legislation and the date have created this issue to which the Deputy has referred. I am examining it with the Department of Finance and the Revenue Commissioners to identify whether there...

Covid-19 (Finance): Statements (20 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: Of the decisions made by the Government on the business support package, the ones that are likely to impact on our deficit position for this year relate to where we are with the restart grant and the rates waiver. While, of course, hundreds of millions of euro is a considerable amount of money those decisions of themselves only move us beyond that €23 billion figure by that amount....

Covid-19 (Finance): Statements (20 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I want to begin by offering my condolences, as always, to the families who have lost loved ones during this pandemic and to again pay tribute to all of those who are on the front line for our country in this time of great challenge. I welcome the opportunity to update the House on the ongoing economic and budgetary situation. The necessary measures introduced to protect public health and...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (20 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 45, 64, 97, 120 and 129 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. In that...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (20 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Government’s priority in so far as the Temporary Wages Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) is concerned was and is to ensure that all employers experiencing significant negative economic disruption from COVID-19 can register for and start to receive payment quickly. The purpose of the scheme is to ensure that the relationship between employers and employees is maintained to the greatest extent...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Help-To-Buy Scheme (20 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe:  The legislation governing HTB is set out in section 477C of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997. The Help to Buy scheme (HTB) is an income tax incentive designed to assist first-time purchasers with a deposit to buy or build a new house or apartment. The incentive gives a refund of Income Tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) paid in the State over the previous...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: VAT Rate Application (20 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 Finance: Pension Provisions (20 May 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: Vehicle Registration (20 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 51 together. I am informed by Revenue that used vehicles brought into the State from the UK or elsewhere are required to be registered within 30 days in normal circumstances. However, as National Car Testing Service (NCTS) Centres which perform the registration service are closed at present as a result of the Covid-19 crisis, this requirement is not...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Vehicle Registration (20 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...