Results 13,941-13,960 of 14,797 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (30 Mar 2010)

Dara Calleary: Under the Work Placement Programme there are no compulsorily minimum training requirements for placements to be approved. The purpose of the programme is to provide valuable work experience to unemployed individuals and as such it is essentially a work experience programme. FÁS, however, encourages employers to offer training during a placement but it is not a requirement of the programme....

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (30 Mar 2010)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 155 and 157 together. FÁS are responsible for managing and overseeing the operation of the Work Placement Programme and they have introduced a number of measures designed to prevent exploitation and the displacement of existing or prospective employment. For instance, all potential providers must confirm the following: - The placement will not be provided to...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (30 Mar 2010)

Dara Calleary: Under the Work Placement Programme 2,126 provider applications have been received to date. Of these a total of 2,033 have been sanctioned and 93 applications have been refused to date.

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (30 Mar 2010)

Dara Calleary: In November 2004 the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment announced a policy change to the Job Initiative Programme that provided for contracts to be renewed for participants who wished to remain on the scheme thus removing the requirement for participants to leave. This policy change brought about an amendment to the rules regarding redundancy payments and allowed for the payment...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (25 Mar 2010)

Dara Calleary: The question of the conditions of employment of FÁS Instructors is a day-to-day staffing matter for FÁS under its functions as provided for in the Labour Services Act, 1987. I have therefore asked FÁS to contact the Deputy directly in the matter.

Merchant Shipping Bill 2009: Instruction to Committee (25 Mar 2010)

Dara Calleary: The Minister indicated during the Second Stage debate in May that the objective of the Bill was to put in place a safety regime ensuring the highest standards for safe construction, design and operation of vessels and the up-to-date safety equipment and arrangements that will support skilled and competent seafarers across the trading, fishing and leisure areas of the maritime sector. The...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2010)

Dara Calleary: ): The recommendation was tabled as a Committee Stage amendment in the Dáil by Deputy Bruton and was the subject of a significant amount of discussion at the time. The Minister, Deputy Lenihan, listened carefully to the arguments put forward at the time and subsequently in committee. The recommendation seeks the introduction of a new tax relief for retraining which would work on the basis...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2010)

Dara Calleary: We will consider the Senator's proposal. I must also point out that the reconfiguration of the Department of Social Protection to include FÁS training courses and the FÁS training unit will considerably assist and enhance the effectiveness of our response in this area. I will bring the Senator's proposal to the attention of the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív. I must also point out a similar...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2010)

Dara Calleary: I can assure Senator Twomey and the House that the Government continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to the Limerick regeneration project. In December last, the Government considered the ten-year regeneration project for Limerick and reaffirmed its commitment to the vision outlined therein. We have asked the Limerick regeneration agencies to complete their work on the programme and to...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2010)

Dara Calleary: I appreciate the Senators' concerns on the matter. I must reiterate that the Government has requested that an implementation plan be delivered by end of March, at which time all issues will be considered. Some €25 million has been this year allocated for expenditure on the programme. A programme of works is underway. There are also a number of other projects underway in the area. We...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2010)

Dara Calleary: The one-off site is designated as being 1 acre in size, a restriction that is in line with the site size restrictions already in place in taxation law in respect of capital gains tax and stamp duty exemptions on disposal of a site to a child and in line with normal tax practices. Similar to the site size restriction, it is also necessary to restrict the value of a one-off site which would...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2010)

Dara Calleary: The one acre limit is in line with current tax policy on capital gains tax and stamp duty exemptions. The purpose is to be consistent across the board.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2010)

Dara Calleary: I can ask that a detailed note be prepared for the Senator. This tax only applies in cases where land has been rezoned and to the profits that accrue from that rezoning. In some of the cases the Senator has mentioned rezoning might not be involved; it might only involve a simple planning issue. However, I shall ask for a note to be sent to the Senator.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2010)

Dara Calleary: I am aware of the specific case. The recommendation concerns the new 80% tax rate that applies to the profits or gains from certain disposals of development land. This rate applies where profits or gains are attributable to rezoning decisions that are made on or after 30 October 2009. The proposal has been brought forward from the Committee Stage of the Bill in the Dáil. The Senators'...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2010)

Dara Calleary: The existing scheme referred to by Senator Callely was terminated in the previous Finance Act in 2009. We have had no representations from the Department of Health and Children as regards a need to revisit that decision. Any revisiting of the decision to terminate the scheme, as outlined, would require Government approval. The Senator has referred to specific shortages in north Dublin and...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2010)

Dara Calleary: I thank Senator Twomey for his sentiments. I should point out that we provide a great deal of information through the country enterprise boards and area-based partnerships on starting up businesses and how to get involved in such processes. However, I will take the Senator's suggestions on board. I empathise with the sentiment, in terms of encouraging and making it easier to set up...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2010)

Dara Calleary: Section 52 amends section 80A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 so as to enable a leasing company engaged in the leasing of short-life assets by way of an operating lease to elect to be taxed on the accounting profit from these leases in certain circumstances. The amendment extends a similar tax treatment to operating leases as already applies for finance leases.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2010)

Dara Calleary: I thank Senators for their good wishes. Senator O'Toole's advice that it could be "done, gone, out of here" stuck in my mind because that is probably what would happen to me if I accepted the recommendation. There is nothing to disagree with it in respect of the principle of the recommendation but the Minister stated when a similar amendment was proposed in the Dáil that he wanted more...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2010)

Dara Calleary: Senator Callely's point on the treatment of intellectual property in insolvency situations is a company law issue. I would be pleased to bring the Senator's concerns to the attention of the Minister of State with responsibility in that area, Deputy Kelleher, for examination. I reiterate that we wish to pursue the proposal but it may not occur within the Senator's timeline because it is a...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (24 Mar 2010)

Dara Calleary: My Department administers the Social Insurance Fund (SIF) in relation to redundancy matters on behalf of the Department of Social and Family Affairs. There are two types of payment made from the SIF – rebates to those employers who have paid statutory redundancy to eligible employees, and statutory lump sums to employees whose employers are insolvent and/or in receivership/liquidation. ...