Results 11,981-12,000 of 33,214 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Wage Subsidy Scheme (7 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 152, 153, 160, 166 and 183 together. The Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) is provided for in section 28 of the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Wage Subsidy Scheme (7 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 154 and 190 together. Section 28 of the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 provides for the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS). The scheme is designed to maintain the key relationship between employers and employees and minimise the impact on the economy to the greatest extent possible during the public health restrictions...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Home Repossessions Rate (7 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I have been advised by the Central Bank of Ireland that within the remit of their responsibilities for safeguarding stability and protecting consumers, its approach to mortgage arrears resolution is focused on ensuring the fair treatment of borrowers through a strong consumer protection framework and ensuring that lenders have appropriate arrears resolution strategies and operations in place....

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Vehicle Registration Tax (7 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: There are currently five VRT categories which determine the basis of the applicable VRT charge. I have no plans to make changes to the type of vehicles that are in these categories.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Credits (7 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The issue raised by the Deputy relates to the eligibility criteria for the Single Person Child Carer Credit (SPCCC). The SPCCC is a tax credit that is available to a single person who has a “qualifying child” resident with him/her for the whole or greater part of the tax year and who satisfies the other conditions of the relief. The value of the credit is €1,650 for...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Primary Medical Certificates (7 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 158 and 187 together. I have been advised that hearings of the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal have been postponed due to Covid-19 restrictions, where the fact that many appellants would likely be in the vulnerable or high-risk Covid-19 category is a relevant consideration. I have also been advised that a Supreme Court decision of 18 June...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Coverage (7 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: At the outset you should note that neither I, as Minister for Finance, nor the Central Bank of Ireland can interfere in the provision or pricing of insurance products or have the power to direct insurance companies to provide cover to specific individuals or businesses. This position is reinforced by the EU framework for insurance (the Solvency II Directive) which expressly prohibits Member...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Value Added Tax (7 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The VAT rating of goods and services is subject to the requirements of the EU VAT Directive, with which Irish VAT law must comply. In general, the VAT Directive provides that all goods and services are liable to VAT at the standard rate unless they fall within Annex III of the Directive, in respect of which Member States may apply either one or two reduced rates of VAT. The “use of...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Value Added Tax (7 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that the VAT rating of goods and services is subject to EU VAT law, with which Irish VAT law must comply. In accordance with the VAT Directive, crèche services are exempt from VAT. As is the case with all VAT exempt businesses, crèches are not entitled to reclaim VAT on the purchase of materials used for their VAT exempt supplies, nor are they required to...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Programme for Government (7 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Department of the Taoiseach has published material provided by Government Departments in accordance with agreed procedures, via the Department of the Taoiseach, to Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party, as part of Government formation negotiations; this information is available at the following link:www.gov.ie/en/publication/7b927-programme-for-governmen t-documents/....

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Consultancy Contracts (7 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to advise the Deputy that the organisation that provided the unconscious bias programme to 53 staff of the Department during 2018 was CMC Business Psychology Ltd. and the cost was €5,610.26.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Legal Costs (7 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The amount my Department incurred in respect of external legal fees in each year since 2016 are in the following table. Year External Legal Fees Amount 2020 (to date) €226,193.93 2019 €471,546.46 2018 €948,806.92 2017 €2,463,556.26 2016...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Universal Social Charge (7 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that the estimated first and full year costs of abolishing the 3% Universal Social Charge (USC) surcharge on incomes over €100,000 for the self-employed are €53m and €98m, respectively. These estimated figures are based on projected 2020 incomes, calculated on the basis of actual data for 2017, which is the latest year for which income tax returns...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Wage Subsidy Scheme (7 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: As previously advised to the Deputy in my reply to his Parliamentary Question on 30 June 2020, the amount of Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) payable to eligible employees is based on their ‘average revenue net weekly pay’ (ARNWP) for January and February 2020, as returned by the employer to Revenue through the real-time PAYE system. The ARNWP calculation is based on the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: EU Budget Contribution (7 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: Irish macroeconomic statistics have been heavily affected by globalisation and the activities of multinationals in recent years. I have outlined on a number of occasions the difficulties in particular with using GDP given the small and very open nature of the economy. This was most evident with the national accounts figures for 2015 (published in 2016). For these reasons, alternative measures...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Collection (7 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised that the refund claims in question have been examined by Revenue, following which three are approved as correctly due, four require further clarifications from the taxpayer or tax agent and three are not properly due. The issues requiring further clarification have been provided to the tax agent to which responses have not yet been received. The refunds that were approved...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Revenue Commissioners (7 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) is a support to maintaining employment during the public health restrictions necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, the scheme has provided support to almost 59,000 employers in respect 568,000 employees totalling €1.9 billion. Approximately 410,000 employees are currently in receipt of the subsidy. The Emergency Measures in the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs (7 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that renovation expenditure on a bed and breakfast (B&B) could, depending on the type of expenditure involved, either be regarded as capital or revenue in nature. Where accommodation is provided as part of the carrying on of a B&B trade, in computing the profits chargeable to tax, a deduction will be available for expenditure that is...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Public Liability Insurance (7 Jul 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, including B&Bs and guesthouses. The Deputy should note that neither I, nor the Central Bank, have any influence over the pricing of insurance products, nor can we compel any insurer operating in the Irish market to...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Wage Subsidy Scheme (7 Jul 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I previously responded to the Deputy on this matter on 27 May 2020 in reply to a Parliamentary Question that he addressed to me. The position has not changed since then. The Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) is available for any employee, whether full-time or part-time, who was on the payroll of the employer at 29 February 2020. This requirement is set down in Section 28 of the...