Results 15,181-15,200 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Written Answers — Tax Yield: Tax Yield (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the information requested by the Deputy is as follows: Numbers of income earners on income tax record Year Exempt Marginal Relief 20 per cent Rate 42 per cent Rate Total 2006 741,100 15,700 647,500 658,100 2,062,400 The numbers of income earners above have been rounded to the nearest hundred as appropriate. The numbers of income...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: The annual capital gains tax exemption for individuals is €1,270. Changes to the exemption have not been made in the last 5 years.

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: Section 128 Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (as amended) charges to income tax the gain made by directors of companies and employees on the exercise of rights granted to them to acquire shares or other assets. Section 128A, which was enacted in 2000, provided for the deferral, subject to conditions, of this tax charge for a period of up to seven years. Section 519 of, and Schedule 12 C to, the...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: Under the objective Delivering Major Capital Programmes, the Programme for Government states: Where significant once-off revenues accrue to the state through for example, the sale of assets or the restructuring of the Central Bank, we will use these revenues to create a National Transformation Fund. This fund, which will be managed by the NTMA, will be used to finance multi-annual...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: The current minimum wage is €7.65 per hour. On an annualised basis, this is equivalent to €15,515 assuming a 39 hour working week. The present entry point to income tax under the PAYE system is €15,600 per annum for a single person under 65. The position is, therefore, that no employee who benefits from entitlement to the employee (PAYE) tax credit in addition to the basic personal tax...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: I understand that the Deputy's question relates specifically to the situation regarding civil servants. There are a number of grounds on which a civil servant may be removed from office: (a) Under the Civil Service Regulation Act 1956, the Government may dismiss or discipline an established civil servant for misconduct or fraud. There is a disciplinary code which sets out the procedures under...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissions that in the context of implementing import controls, Revenue's Customs Service monitors all flights and passengers, including passengers in private aircraft, coming into the country through Dublin Airport. This monitoring is done on the basis of risk analysis. In relation to the monitoring by Revenue of days spent in Ireland by individuals with an...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy may be aware that the issue of a currency transactions tax (Tobin tax) has been considered in a number of fora, including the informal Ecofin meeting at Liege on 22 September 2001. The Belgian Presidency indicated that it wished to pursue the matter in the context of a general study to be carried out by the Commission on the issue of globalisation. However, it would be fair to say...

Written Answers — State Airports: State Airports (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: Under my Department's Guidelines for the Appraisal and Management of Capital Expenditure Proposals in the Public Sector, as amended by my Department's Value for Money Circular Letter of 26 January 2006, all semi-state bodies with responsibility for developing capital projects are required to carry out an appropriate cost benefit analysis of projects costing over €30 million. If a semi state...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: The current annual rate of stamp duty on credit card and charge card accounts is €40. The stamp duty on ATM and debit cards is €10 per annum. In the case of combined cards (cards which have both ATM and Debit functions), the stamp duty is €20. The Deputy will be aware that I introduced changes in this year's Finance Act to alter the way that stamp duty is charged on combined cards. The...

Written Answers — Financial Services Regulation: Financial Services Regulation (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: In April of this year I submitted the Credit Union Registrar's proposals for a new investment framework to the Credit Union Advisory Committee (CUAC) requesting them to provide advice on an appropriate investment framework for credit unions. I understand that the Committee has completed its review of this issue and has recently submitted its advice which is now being assessed by my...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the most recent estimated cost of making the home carer tax credit refundable when it is unused is broadly in the region of €42 million annually. The estimate of €42 million relates only to the cost of extending refundable tax credits to all those on the Revenue Commissioners' tax files. If a refundable tax credit system were to be...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: The following budgetary allocations from the Department of Finance Vote in 2006 have been made to the bodies of the type referred to by the Deputy. Body 2006 Budgetary Allocation €,000 Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) 20,449* Ordnance Survey Ireland 9,265 Public Service Benchmarking Body 1,900 Review Body on Higher Remuneration 300 Disabled Drivers Medical...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: The number of positions in State bodies under the aegis of my My Department which have been affected as a result of the recently sanctioned Government increase in non-executive chairpersons' fees is three. The bodies affected are Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Public Appointments Service and the Financial Services Ombudsman Council.

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: The level of the fees payable to members of the boards of State bodies was revised by Government at its meeting on 20 June 2006. The revised fees are payable with effect from 1 January 2006. The Government decided to increase the fees payable to ordinary board members and directors of State bodies by roughly the amount of the increase payable to senior civil servants in the period since the...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: The following table sets out task forces established in the Department since 1997. It is the most comprehensive list which could be prepared in the time available. Name of Taskforce Function Membership Reporting Mechanism Set up Ceased Decentralisation Implementation Group To drive forward the Government's Decentralisation Programme Mr. Finbarr Flood The Chair reports...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: As part of the Decentralisation Programme it is intended that Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSI) will decentralise to Dungarvan, County Waterford. I am informed by OSI that arrangements are proceeding in accordance with their implementation plan. A site has been acquired in Dungarvan by the Office of Public Works (OPW). A detailed plan of the OSI requirements in the new location has been developed...

Written Answers — Financial Services Regulation: Financial Services Regulation (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: I presume the Deputy is referring to the high proportion of credit union savings that are currently invested in banks and other financial institutions. This largely reflects the strong performance of credit unions in attracting savings. It also reflects the highly competitive environment for lending in which credit unions operate. The Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) contends that the...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 269 and 278 together. The yield on inheritance tax over the last 10 years is: Year Yield € 1996 61,127,644 1997 81,270,994 1998 98,455,375 1999 133,731,623 2000 154,723,513 2001 121,504,568 2002 128,062,522 2003 130,653,240 2004 171,293,533 2005 196,654,582

Written Answers — House Prices: House Prices (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: There are no official figures available for the value of the entire housing stock. There is only limited data available on legal ownership of houses by age profile. The CSO has advised that a 2004 survey indicated that about two thirds of owner occupied houses are owned by persons over 50. This proportion does not include other houses owned by respondents such as holiday homes or houses...