Results 12,281-12,300 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Order of Business (22 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: I note the games Fine Gael is playing locally on the issue.

Order of Business (22 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: So much for strategic infrastructure.

Order of Business (22 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: There is a debate on climate change and energy security today. If that is not an opportunity to raise the issue, I do not know what is.

Written Answers — State Property: State Property (21 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: Under Section 28 (2) of the State Property Act 1954, the Minister for Finance assumes responsibility for all personal property and land vested in or held in trust by a body corporate (other than personal property or land held by such body in trust for another person) immediately prior to its dissolution. Upon the dissolution of the body corporate, such property becomes State property. The...

Written Answers — Public Transport: Public Transport (21 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy may recall that I have answered Parliamentary Questions on this issue over the past year, including on 4 July 2007 and in recent weeks. The 2003 EU Energy Tax Directive incorporated special derogations which allowed specific excise duty reliefs to be applied in a number of Member States. In the Irish context, these derogations allowed for reduced rates to apply to fuel used for...

Written Answers — Tax Clearance Certificates: Tax Clearance Certificates (21 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the tax clearance certificate issued to the individual concerned on 19 November 2007.

Written Answers — Currency Strength: Currency Strength (21 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: Inflation as measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) is the appropriate measure of inflation as it excludes the effects of interest rate changes. Including mortgage interest rate adjustments in the measure of inflation distorts the underlying inflationary trend. Using the HICP, the purchasing power of the Irish Punt declined by 38% between November 1997 and October 2007....

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (21 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that they are not in a position to provide an estimate of the amount of unclaimed tax refunds for the years in question. This is because the Revenue Commissioners can only allow reliefs and credits on the basis of the information that is known to them. Consequently, there is no way to accurately assess underclaimed entitlements where changes in...

Written Answers — Dormant Accounts Fund: Dormant Accounts Fund (21 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: Under the Dormant Accounts Act 2001 and the Unclaimed Life Assurance Policies Act 2003, credit institutions and insurance undertakings are required each April to transfer to the National Treasury Management Agency, all moneys falling dormant in the previous year. Each credit institution and insurance undertaking is also required under the legislation to keep a register of their dormant...

Written Answers — Conflicts of Interest: Conflicts of Interest (21 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: I understand that the Advisers in my Department during the period referred to have complied with the provisions of the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995.

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (21 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: The table that follows this reply sets out details of each consultancy contract paid direct from my Department's Vote which commenced, continued or completed in 2007. It includes the names of the consultancy firms used by my Department, the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector and the Public Service Benchmarking Body in 2007, a description of the project each worked on and...

Written Answers — Complaints Procedures: Complaints Procedures (21 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: The Department has a Complaints Procedure which deals with complaints about the quality of service provided by the Department. Two complaints were received in 2005 and one each in 2006 and to date in 2007 regarding quality of service.

Written Answers — Departmental Advertising: Departmental Advertising (21 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: Since 1 January 2002, the Department has spent €3,188,510 on advertising and promotional campaigns. The following table gives a breakdown of expenditure on electronic media and print media for each of the years in question: Year Spend on electronic media inclusive of television, radio and Internet Spend on printed media € € 2002 521,905* 1,251,251* 2003 67,189 206,976 2004...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (21 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: My Department has undertaken a number of reviews under the Value for Money and Policy Review Initiative. One of the key evaluation criteria for these reviews is efficiency. To date, reviews have been completed of Payments to Promoters of Certain Charities; the Change Management Fund; the Information Society Fund; the grant-in-aid to the Institute of Public Administration; the grant-in-aid...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (21 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: I have been advised by the Revenue Commissioners that a full refund of tax deducted on the taxpayer's pension lump sum will issue in the coming days.

Written Answers — Public Transport: Public Transport (21 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy may recall that I have answered Parliamentary Questions on this issue over the past year, including on 4 July 2007 and in recent weeks. The 2003 EU Energy Tax Directive incorporated special derogations which allowed specific excise duty reliefs to be applied in a number of Member States. In the Irish context, these derogations allowed for reduced rates to apply to fuel used for...

Written Answers — Disabled Drivers: Disabled Drivers (21 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: The Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Scheme provides relief from VAT and Vehicle Registration Tax (up to a certain limit) on the purchase of an adapted car for transport of a person with specific severe and permanent physical disabilities, as well as relief from excise on the fuel used in the car, up to a certain limit. The disability criteria for these concessions...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (21 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: The one-parent family tax credit is a credit that can be claimed by a single parent (whether widowed, single, deserted, separated or divorced) who has a dependent child resident with him/her for the whole or part of the relevant tax year. The Revenue Commissioners deem this requirement to be met if the child is so resident for at least one night during the year. The payment or non-payment...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (21 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: The Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 requires the Minister for Social and Family Affairs to arrange for an actuarial review of the financial condition of the Social Insurance Fund to be conducted every five years. The most recent actuarial review, which covers the period from 2005 to 2061, was published on 17 October 2007. One of the Review's principal findings was that, based on a...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (20 Nov 2007)

Brian Cowen: As I indicated in reply to an earlier question today, Question No. 52, in Budget 2007, I announced a public consultation regarding the possibility of changing the current VRT system to take greater account of environmental issues, and in particular Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions. It is a long-standing practice of the Minister for Finance not to comment in advance of the Budget on any tax or...