Results 12,321-12,340 of 33,214 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

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

Paschal Donohoe: I do not believe I have yet received the correspondence but I have seen it on social media. I am receiving a gigantic volume of correspondence from every part of our society and economy, making legitimate cases for their support both now and into the future. I am trying to consider all these issues in the round.

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

Paschal Donohoe: Deputy Sherlock has raised a very important matter. I will come back to him on that issue in writing. The Government acted to ensure the temporary Covid-19 wage subsidy scheme would include a bridging recognition of people's social insurance contributions in this period. We wanted to ensure that workers' time on the scheme was not treated differently where their social insurance...

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

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will know, jobseeker's payments are subject to tax. However, recipients of jobseeker's payments might not pay tax on them due to their income level. Because the Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment is a form of income, it is being treated in the same way as jobseeker's payments. As such it is subject to taxation. As is the case with jobseeker's payments, the amount of tax...

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

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for his questions. First, I will say a word about the proposals brought forward by the European Union yesterday. I think they are really important. They build on the work that was done by finance Ministers of the European Union and also the initiative that was launched by France and Germany last week. In addition to the reasons the Deputy touched upon regarding the...

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

Paschal Donohoe: I will come back to the question on Debenhams if Deputy Sherlock and others raise it.

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

Paschal Donohoe: The issue of those who are working in the Gaeltacht and what has happened to them, because students will not be able to spend any time with them this summer, has been raised with me by the Minister of State, Senator Seán Kyne. I have visited the Gaeltacht and seen at first hand how important school programmes are for the Gaeltacht and employment in those communities and how central they...

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

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for raising those different questions. Regarding the future of the wage subsidy scheme and the pandemic unemployment payment, it is precisely because of my recognition of the challenges to which Deputy Doherty refers and the number of citizens who are facing those challenges that I played a role in introducing these schemes. I played a role in increasing the value of the...

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...