Results 1,381-1,400 of 16,537 for speaker:Brian Lenihan Jnr

Written Answers — Civil Service Language Service: Civil Service Language Service (2 Nov 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Language training programmes in the civil service are provided by Gaeleagras and the Civil Service Language Centre which operate under the aegis of the Civil Service Training and Development Centre in my Department. Gaeleagras Gaeleagras delivers training in the Irish Language to civil servants to enable Departments to meet their obligations under the Official Languages Act, 2003. It...

Written Answers — Customs Service: Customs Service (28 Oct 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the approximate number of road checkpoints carried out by Revenue Enforcement Officers during the period January to September 2010, some of which are estimated, is set out in the table below. Revenue Enforcement Officers carry out road checkpoints both on a routine and a targeted basis, focusing primarily on mineral oil and Vehicle...

Written Answers — Fiscal Policy: Fiscal Policy (28 Oct 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The development of policy, the provision of services for people with disability and expenditure on those services in each sector are primarily a matter in the first instance for the responsible Minister to consider in the light of the provisions of the Disability Act 2005. These require that due regard is had to needs of disability services in the context of available resources and other...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (28 Oct 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I have been advised by the Revenue Commissioners that additional information has been requested from the person concerned regarding their income for 2009. On receipt of this information a review will be carried out and any refund due will issue.

Written Answers — Departmental Contracts: Departmental Contracts (28 Oct 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The tender for the procurement of commercial air travel referred to in the Deputy's question was concluded in 2008 in accordance with EU procurement rules. The request for tenders was published on the eTender website on 6 May 2008. A total of seven tenders were received. The current contract was awarded from 6 August 2008 on the basis that it would initially operate for one year but could...

Written Answers — EU Funding: EU Funding (28 Oct 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I assume the Deputy is referring to the work carried out by the Van Rompuy Task Force. In March 2010, in the light of the global economic and financial crisis and the deterioration in public finances across the EU, the European Council mandated a Task Force under President Van Rompuy and comprising representatives of the Member States, the European Commission and the ECB to develop proposals...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (28 Oct 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Under current arrangements, an annual earnings cap of €150,000 acts, in conjunction with age-related percentage limits of annual earnings, to put a ceiling on the annual amount of tax relief an individual taxpayer can obtain on employee or personal pension contributions to pension savings. I assume that the Deputy is suggesting that the existing annual earnings cap be reduced to the levels...

Macroeconomic and Fiscal Outlook: Statements (Resumed) (28 Oct 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Let us deal with forecasting. Let us deal with the forecasts for GDP this year to ascertain how wrong they were. That would be a good point of departure, rather than the generalised statement with which Deputy Noonan concluded to the effect that every forecast was wrong. For example, in respect of GDP forecasts for this year, my Department was wrong because it was too pessimistic. Last...

Macroeconomic and Fiscal Outlook: Statements (Resumed) (28 Oct 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: No, one should be clear about this. At the time of budget 2010, the IMF predicted a contraction in GDP of 2.5% for this year, whereas there has in fact been a contraction of 0.25%. Consequently, it was wrong by 2% in a negative direction last year. The ESRI predicted last year that GDP growth would be -1.1%. As it now stands at -0.25%, the ESRI was wrong in a negative sense, albeit by a...

Macroeconomic and Fiscal Outlook: Statements (Resumed) (28 Oct 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: When discussing the reliability of forecasts, I accept Deputy Noonan's point that there is scope for error but that does not absolve the Government from making judgments and assessments, as it is obliged to do. These were the forecasts made in respect of 2010 but if one considers the IMF's forecast for 2011, it stood at 1% at the time of budget 2010 whereas it now stands at 2.3%. One can...

Macroeconomic and Fiscal Outlook: Statements (Resumed) (28 Oct 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Deputy Costello also asked about the Franco-German declaration but I already answered that question when it was put to me by Deputy Morgan. Deputy Durkan reverted to the question of bondholders. I wish to return to this subject because Deputy Burton raised an issue about payments to investors in Anglo Irish Bank. The fact that more than €7 billion of Anglo Irish bonds were maturing by...

Macroeconomic and Fiscal Outlook: Statements (Resumed) (28 Oct 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: -----and in its interim report in 2010. I refer to note 26 on page 56.

Macroeconomic and Fiscal Outlook: Statements (Resumed) (28 Oct 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I wish to put this on the record of the House and I-----

Macroeconomic and Fiscal Outlook: Statements (Resumed) (28 Oct 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The funding profile of any financial institution is a commercial decision for the institution and is monitored by the Financial Regulator. Bonds are a usual source of funding for all financial institutions-----

Macroeconomic and Fiscal Outlook: Statements (Resumed) (28 Oct 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: -----and I understand this source of funding has been replaced by a number of funding sources, including the issuance of new term debt.

Macroeconomic and Fiscal Outlook: Statements (Resumed) (28 Oct 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Deputy Burton should note that Members will not have a sensible debate in this House if she accepts defamatory stories in particular newspapers at face value. As for Deputy Durkan's question-----

Macroeconomic and Fiscal Outlook: Statements (Resumed) (28 Oct 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: No, the Deputy knows exactly which article to which I refer and it is not that article. Deputy Durkan asked a question-----

Macroeconomic and Fiscal Outlook: Statements (Resumed) (28 Oct 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Yes.

Macroeconomic and Fiscal Outlook: Statements (Resumed) (28 Oct 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: In respect of-----

Macroeconomic and Fiscal Outlook: Statements (Resumed) (28 Oct 2010)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: When an inaccurate story is printed in a newspaper and the Deputy insists on giving it further ventilation in this House, I am at least entitled to put the matter on the record of the House to protect myself.