Results 11,801-11,820 of 16,285 for speaker:Peadar Tóibín

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Peadar Tóibín: One of the issues my party has with what the Government has done to the USC is that it seems to have had the effect of widening the gap between rich and poor. Social Justice Ireland indicated that the gap between those who are on social welfare and those who earn €50,000 has widened because of these measures and the measures the Government has implemented. It is quite shocking that...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Peadar Tóibín: I understand what the Minister is saying and that elsewhere in the budget there could be provision to ameliorate the incidents of greatest benefit on upper income holders through USC. However, those who earn over €200,000 will get a break of €902 due to this cut in USC. That €902 is an opportunity cost to the State when the State is finding it difficult to allow for a...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Peadar Tóibín: If a person works hard, uses his or her "smarts" and takes responsibility and risk, he or she should be economically compensated. One needs that spark within an economy for the economy to function. Ireland has one of the biggest disparities between rich and poor internationally. I am not just talking about making sure that people who work hard and use their smarts get properly paid, with a...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Peadar Tóibín: That is an argument for what I have just said. Direct transfers are needed to ameliorate the disparity between rich and poor. That makes my argument.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Peadar Tóibín: I move amendment No. 3:In page 8, between lines 23 and 24, to insert the following:“3. The Minister shall, within one month of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before Dáil Éireann a report on options available for removing the USC liability for all workers earning less than €19,572 a year”. The purpose of this amendment follows on from the discussion we...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Peadar Tóibín: We have set out the broad parameters of the lack of progressiveness in the Government's USC proposals. We sought to address this again given the fact that those on the minimum wage in the State are hardest hit with regard to the challenges of rent, education costs and the different expenditures that people have. There is a necessity to move towards a living wage and we seek to ensure that...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Peadar Tóibín: While amendment No. 5 has been ruled out of order, there is no doubt about the need for a self-employed tax credit and an equalisation of the tax credits a self-employed person experiences with those experienced by an employed person. That is why we took that step in our alternative budget. The problem I have is that after €100,000, a person is earning €1,900 per week and a...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Peadar Tóibín: How much will it cost? How many people will it affect? I am now starting to wonder whether the Minister cycles because he has not included cycling in transportation. The reason we submitted our amendment was because we feel there is a possibility of abuse of the scheme and there is a necessity to ensure that does not occur. That is why we included an obligation for receipts and...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Peadar Tóibín: I move amendment No. 12:In page 10, between lines 21 and 22, to insert the following:"(4) As regards the reimbursement of actual expenses vouched by receipts, the employer must retain such receipts, together with details of the travel and subsistence. The period of retention of records is 6 years after the end of the tax year to which the records refer.".".

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Peadar Tóibín: What is the expected cost to the Exchequer of this measure?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Peadar Tóibín: Was the Minister lobbied by the health insurance industry to change it?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Peadar Tóibín: The Minister for Health was lobbied?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Peadar Tóibín: Is there any information in the Department with regard to increases of VAT and relevant contracts tax, RCT, registrations on the back of the home renovations incentive, HRI, scheme? This scheme in part was supposed to seek a regularisation of the delivery of this type of work and stop the black market from operating. It would be interesting to measure the impact in respect of that...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Peadar Tóibín: I appreciate that it is impossible to get who has changed, but the Minister would see if there has been a net change in the number of RCT and VAT registrations during that period. The total number would not necessarily be moving from the black economy but it would give us an understanding if there was a particular bump outside the trend.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Peadar Tóibín: What about the possibility of making enhanced provision for rural areas?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Peadar Tóibín: Has the Minister consider the question of rural areas?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Peadar Tóibín: The Minister is correct that a simple tax break will not be the silver bullet but changes happen because of marginal changes around the edges. A suite of changes leads to a more viable existence in rural areas. Something like this could potentially help some people to make the decision to renovate and, therefore, remain in rural Ireland.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Peadar Tóibín: This section of the Bill seeks to remove the tax relief on income from the management of woodlands from the list of reliefs that are subject to restrictions. Certain forms of income that relate to forestry, such as grants and premiums, are exempt from tax at present, but there are restrictions in place which seek to limit the ability of people on high incomes and high earners to avail of...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Peadar Tóibín: I mentioned that tax reliefs are a distortion of the income base, but I also said that there are circumstances in which they can be used for the common good. There is no doubt that this proposal would have a marginal effect on the rural economy. I would make the point that having roads on which people can drive would also have an effect on the rural economy. There are roads in north-west...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Finance Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Peadar Tóibín: The Minister has said that there will be no appreciable change in income. Tax changes are designed to change behaviour. I imagine the Government will use this measure as part of its efforts to seek more investment in forestry in this State. If that is to happen, and if the seven individuals mentioned by the Minister are to participate in this activity, there has to be a net income benefit...