Results 13,441-13,460 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Tax Yield. (26 Jun 2007)

Brian Cowen: In the past, returns in this area have exceeded those which had been forecast. Such forecasts were not based on windfall gains. There continues to be a prospect that our estimates will come in on target, even if there is a downturn.

Price Inflation. (26 Jun 2007)

Brian Cowen: On budget day, 6 December 2006, the Department of Finance forecast that consumer price index inflation would be 4.1% this year. That forecast was based on the normal technical assumption of unchanged interest rates. The budget day forecast for the harmonised index of consumer prices inflation — the EU inflation measure — was 2.6% this year. As usual, the Department will publish updated...

Price Inflation. (26 Jun 2007)

Brian Cowen: In looking at the causes of Irish inflation over the past year, it is important to distinguish between external factors, which are beyond domestic policy control, and internal factors. Externally, the main cause is higher mortgage interest payments due to ECB interest rate increases. Excluding mortgage interest repayments, as I have said, the rate of increase in the CPI inflation rate last...

Price Inflation. (26 Jun 2007)

Brian Cowen: They are the Ministers with responsibility in these areas.

Pension Provisions. (26 Jun 2007)

Brian Cowen: Tax relief is provided at an individual's marginal income tax rate on amounts contributed to pension schemes, subject to limits. Relief is also provided on contributions made by employers to such schemes and on the amount of profits and gains generated by the investments held by the pension schemes. Pension benefits payable on retirement are taxable subject to an entitlement to take a...

Pension Provisions. (26 Jun 2007)

Brian Cowen: During the general election, we stated we would give consideration to the introduction of an SSIA-type scheme that would have to be negotiated with the social partners. In the absence of those negotiations, therefore, it is meaningless to outline the prospective costs of it.

Pension Provisions. (26 Jun 2007)

Brian Cowen: During the election, as Minister for Finance, I clarified, without any equivocation, the issue. It would be considered in the context of the cost of pensions in the tax system as pension relief schemes work. There is considerable room for manoeuvre to see what changes can be made to pension arrangements that could accommodate, on a revenue-neutral basis, an SSIA-type scheme in the context...

Pension Provisions. (26 Jun 2007)

Brian Cowen: It is not a question of being put to the back of any queue. As proposed in the Green Paper, it is a question of examining the cost of pension provision and how the provision of further improved incentives would be taken up by people who do not regard current arrangements as sufficient for supplementary pension provision. That is what I am talking about and ideally from the State's and the...

Decentralisation Programme. (26 Jun 2007)

Brian Cowen: I confirm the Government's commitment to the decentralisation programme which has been included in the Agreed Programme for Government. The Deputy will be aware that the decentralisation implementation group, DIG, was appointed to oversee the implementation of the programme. It might be helpful to give a brief update on progress with the programme under a number of headings. To date, more...

Decentralisation Programme. (26 Jun 2007)

Brian Cowen: The only people talking out of both sides of their mouths have been Members of the Opposition, depending on what bench they sit on and what Question Time is taking place on any given day.

Decentralisation Programme. (26 Jun 2007)

Brian Cowen: The only people applying cynicism and negativity to this programme consistently have been on the Opposition benches, while cuttings from every local newspaper proclaim support for it.

Decentralisation Programme. (26 Jun 2007)

Brian Cowen: I have not yet heard Fine Gael or Labour state one town or county that should not be included. The scheme is voluntary and there are industrial relations procedures in this country. The implementation group makes it quite clear that a breakthrough will be required regarding the State agencies to try to get the programme up and running to match the headway made in respect of the Civil...

Departmental Bodies. (26 Jun 2007)

Brian Cowen: The programme for Government contains certain commitments in the area of taxation policy, including a commitment to establish a commission on taxation that will have a wide remit to consider the structure of the taxation system. It will be charged specifically with considering and making recommendations. For example, it will examine the balance achieved between taxes collected on income,...

Departmental Bodies. (26 Jun 2007)

Brian Cowen: First, I wish to disabuse the Deputy of a few notions she put forward as if they had a factual basis. I assure her that in my discussions — I headed the negotiations on behalf of my party regarding the formulation of the programme for Government — I was not aware of the Labour Party's proposals. They certainly did not form part of my discussions since the Labour Party was not prepared...

Departmental Bodies. (26 Jun 2007)

Brian Cowen: May I reply to the assertions made in this question? The Deputy suggested that I was an opponent of the establishment of the commission on taxation. That is groundless. I negotiated with others the terms of the programme for Government that was unanimously adopted by the parliamentary party and I welcomed that vote of confidence. The suggestion by Deputy Burton that I opposed this...

Departmental Bodies. (26 Jun 2007)

Brian Cowen: There are no grounds for that assertion.

Departmental Bodies. (26 Jun 2007)

Brian Cowen: As usual there is no basis to the Deputy's speculation about the composition of the commission.

Tax Code. (26 Jun 2007)

Brian Cowen: The programme for Government contains a commitment to examine the scope for reducing the VAT rate on environmental goods and services from the standard VAT rate of 21% to the reduced rate of 13.5%. This is just one of a number of initiatives in the programme aimed at delivering a cleaner environment. In carrying out this examination, account will be taken of the growing range of...

Tax Code. (26 Jun 2007)

Brian Cowen: The examination can consider all these issues. The law on VAT is a very technical area. EU VAT directives are the determining and over-arching legislative basis upon which these VAT issues are dealt with and we cannot take unilateral action to do what we wish regarding reductions in VAT, even though the public sometimes thinks we can. We must be in compliance with VAT law and that is often...

Tax Code. (26 Jun 2007)

Brian Cowen: There are various rates of tax in existence and I refer to the rate of 0% on foodstuffs which is an important protection for Irish consumers and a rate which is not available in every other jurisdiction in the EU. The question refers to a programme for Government commitment specifically in respect of environmental goods and services. It is in such a context that the examination will take...