Results 14,321-14,340 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen
- Budget Statement 2006 (6 Dec 2006)
Brian Cowen: ââdirectly and substantially, not only those who are in the market now, but also those who are already paying their first mortgages.
- Budget Statement 2006 (6 Dec 2006)
Brian Cowen: The best way to do this is by way of mortgage interest relief. The Government therefore proposes to double the ceiling on mortgage interest relief for first-time buyers from â¬4,000 per year for single people and â¬8,000 per year for married or widowed people to â¬8,000 and â¬16,000, respectively.
- Budget Statement 2006 (6 Dec 2006)
Brian Cowen: This increased support will be available to all those currently in receipt of first-time buyer's relief who are in the first seven years of their mortgage. About 125,000 first-time buyers will benefit directly as a result of this measure, at a cost of â¬60 million in a full year.
- Budget Statement 2006 (6 Dec 2006)
Brian Cowen: As a result of this initiative for first-time buyers, a couple with a joint mortgage of up to â¬379,000 over 33 years, at an interest rate of 4.25%, will be able to claim interest relief on the full amount of the interest on their loan. Such a couple will now gain up to â¬1,600 extra per year, or â¬133 per month, in mortgage interest relief directly credited against their mortgage bill.
- Budget Statement 2006 (6 Dec 2006)
Brian Cowen: Single people will gain up to â¬800 per year, or over â¬66 each month. This will help existing first-time buyers who are already in their first home, as well as potential first-time buyers, without acting to inflate house prices further.
- Budget Statement 2006 (6 Dec 2006)
Brian Cowen: I am also raising the ceiling on interest relief for non-first-time buyers from â¬2,540 for single people and â¬5,080 for married people to â¬3,000 and â¬6,000, respectively. In addition, I propose to increase the rent relief for those living in private rented accommodation by more than the rate of inflation to assist those facing increased rental costs. The total cost of all these...
- Budget Statement 2006 (6 Dec 2006)
Brian Cowen: In recent years, the Government has channelled considerable resources into child income support and child care generally. This is highlighted by the fact that the monthly rate of child benefit for the first two children, which in 1997 was â¬38 per child, now stands at â¬150, or nearly four times higher. Today, I am announcing a further increase in child benefit of â¬10 per month for all...
- Budget Statement 2006 (6 Dec 2006)
Brian Cowen: While this increase will benefit all children, I want to see additional support being given to those most in need. That is why I have agreed with the Minister for Social and Family Affairs to increase the back to school clothing and footwear allowance payments and to replace the existing three rates of child dependant allowance by a new standard rate of â¬22 per child per week. This is...
- Budget Statement 2006 (6 Dec 2006)
Brian Cowen: In last year's budget, I announced a major new Government child care strategy. Since then, investment in child care facilities has intensified. The EU co-funded equal opportunities child care programme has exceeded all targets and has generated over 56,500 child care places to date. More than 32,000 new places have been created and a further 24,500 places have been supported with grant aid...
- Budget Statement 2006 (6 Dec 2006)
Brian Cowen: In response to recent representations received from the childminding sector and indications from the Office of the Minister for Children that the uptake of the scheme may be slow, I have decided to increase the exemption limit in 2007 from â¬10,000 to â¬15,000 per year.
- Budget Statement 2006 (6 Dec 2006)
Brian Cowen: In line with the strategy I announced last year, I am increasing the length of paid maternity leave by a further four weeks.
- Budget Statement 2006 (6 Dec 2006)
Brian Cowen: This brings the total amount of paid maternity leave to 26 weeks. Unpaid leave is also being increased by four weeks, to 16 weeks. With the changes in maternity benefit I announced earlier, these changes will help to ease the burden on working families. Another key element of the child care strategy was the introduction of the early child care supplement of â¬250 per quarter for all...
- Budget Statement 2006 (6 Dec 2006)
Brian Cowen: These payments are designed to assist parents in the choices they make for the care of their children in the early years. When we came to office, a family in similar circumstances received direct payments from the Exchequer of â¬914 in a full year.
- Budget Statement 2006 (6 Dec 2006)
Brian Cowen: This increase is clear evidence of the Government's support for young families. Public Services Spending on services When account is taken of expenditure additions I am providing for today, gross current expenditure in 2007 will be â¬48.5 billion or 11.5% over the projected 2006 outturn.
- Budget Statement 2006 (6 Dec 2006)
Brian Cowen: Since we came into office, those adjustments have been made automatically. The composition of this amount reflects the priority attached by the Government to social welfare, health and education. These three areas comprise 77% of the 2007 current expenditure provision. The allocation for social welfare is â¬15.3 billion, for health it is â¬14.3 billion and for education it is â¬7.9...
- Budget Statement 2006 (6 Dec 2006)
Brian Cowen: We are making provision for a gross capital spend of â¬7.6 billion next year, an increase of 13% over 2006. This will enable further roll-out of our ambitious investment programme currently running at about twice the European average. The medium-term investment envelope will be presented in the National Development Plan 2007-2013, to be published next month. The national development plan...
- Budget Statement 2006 (6 Dec 2006)
Brian Cowen: It is only by adopting such an approach that the social partners can realise for our society the vision that is clearly set out in the Towards 2016 agreement.
- Budget Statement 2006 (6 Dec 2006)
Brian Cowen: We must also maintain a sound budgetary position that supports stable economic growth and be able to meet future expenditure needs even in times of lower economic growth. Conclusion I am satisfied that, in present economic circumstances, this budget is fiscally sustainable, economically appropriate and socially responsible.
- Budget Statement 2006 (6 Dec 2006)
Brian Cowen: It meets the needs of the economy and underpins growth for the years ahead.
- Budget Statement 2006 (6 Dec 2006)
Brian Cowen: It supports pensioners, the disabled and those in need.