Results 15,421-15,440 of 32,864 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Trade Data (9 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: A breakdown of goods export and imports transactions to and from the UK by company, individual and firm level is not available from the Central Statistics Office (CSO). However, the CSO has produced a detailed insight into Ireland’s trade with the UK in terms of enterprise size, in their publication titled ‘Irish Traders and the UK 2016’released onthe 3rdof October 2018....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (9 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: This issue relates to a claim by community employment supervisors and assistant supervisors who have been seeking, through their union representatives, the allocation of Exchequer funding to implement a 2008 Labour Court recommendation relating to the provision of a pension scheme. The matter was the subject of discussion at the Community Sector High Level Forum which was reconvened to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Shared Services (9 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am informed by the National Shared Services Office that a design review of the new financial management technology platform was completed recently. This has highlighted a number of process and technical opportunities for improvement of the single finance platform for Government to ensure a quality shared services solution. The programme team are now assessing these opportunities to see what...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts Data (9 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to advise the Deputy that from 2014 to date, no public tender competitions ran by my Department have disqualified economic operators on the grounds outlined in the question. As such, no claims against the State have been brought on these grounds as a result of any public tender competitions ran by my Department. The information above sets out the position in respect of the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Retirements (9 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: On 5 December 2017, the Government made the decision to increase the compulsory retirement age to 70, for public servants recruited prior to 1 April 2004. Primary legislation was necessary in order to bring that change into effect. It was made clear at the time that until such legislation was enacted, the compulsory retirement age of 65, which applied to the vast majority of this cohort,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Home Loan Scheme (9 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan launched on 1 February 2018. Prior to its launch, an initial tranche of €200 million of long-term fixed-rate finance was borrowed by the Housing Finance Agency to provide funds for the scheme to local authorities. When the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan was initially being developed it was estimated that the drawdown of loans under the scheme would...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Measures (9 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Article 33 of the Constitution provides that there shall be a Comptroller and Auditor General to control on behalf of the State all disbursements and to audit all accounts of moneys administered by or under the authority of the Oireachtas. The constitution also provides that the Comptroller and Auditor General shall be appointed by the President on the nomination of Dáil...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Brexit Preparations (9 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Since the referendum result in 2016, a number of steps have been taken to build up the resilience of the economy so that we have the capacity to deal with adverse economic shocks. These include building up our fiscal buffers by balancing our books, reducing our debt burden and establishing the Rainy Day Fund. The steady increases in public spending implemented in recent years with a...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts Data (9 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The details sought by the Deputy are not available centrally. The management of individual contracts is a matter for the relevant contracting authorities and my Department does not have a central coordination role in relation to contracts entered into by all state authorities.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Mortgage Debt (4 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by the Central Bank of Ireland that it is aware that a regulated entity has written to a number of buy-to-let (BTL) borrowers in arrears and that it is engaged with that particular entity but cannot comment on the specifics of any individual firm. Any borrower who is concerned or who has received letters should contact their regulated entity directly. If they are not satisfied...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: State Bodies Data (4 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Details of the number and percentage of women on each State Board under the aegis of my Department on 8 March 2016 and 8 March 2019 are in the table: State Board 8th March 2016 8th March 2019 Central Bank Commission 3 – 30% 3 – 30% Credit Union Restructuring Board (ReBo) 2 – 16.66% 2 – 66.66% (Caretaker Board while awaiting dissolution) Financial Services...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Data (4 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 to 63, inclusive, together. I am advised by Revenue that Section 118 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, as amended, is the general charging provision for the taxation of benefits in kind. The section provides for a charge to income tax in respect of the provision of certain benefits in kind by a body corporate for a director or employee, which...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Housing Policy (4 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am aware of the recent report concerning the Irish housing market by the UN special rapporteur on the right to adequate housing. The Irish government recognises the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to which the Ireland has been a party since 8 December 1989. Article 11.1 of this Covenant recognises the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Costs (4 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: My Department is currently working on developing legislative changes on insurance as part of the Consumer Insurance Contracts Bill 2017. As the Deputy is aware the purpose of the Bill is to reform and modernise the law of consumer insurance contracts and to "level the playing field so that the consumer is better equipped to stand up to the insurer". The Bill is based on the 2015 Law Reform...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Mortgage Book Sales (4 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Central Bank of Ireland has advised that it cannot comment on specific transactions relating to regulated firms. In addition, the Central has commented as follows: “While the strategy and commercial decisions of lenders are ultimately matters for the boards of those lenders, the Central Bank, as supervisor, requires that when loans are sold, all statutory legal protections are...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Data (4 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I welcome the publication of the CSO’s report on the feasibility of collecting price information on the cost of insurance to businesses, which was published in February 2019. Increasing the availability of data in relation to Employer and Public Liability Insurance is a matter which was discussed by the Cost of Insurance Working Group and its Report on the Cost of Employer and...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Credit Card Levy (4 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that there is no age-related exemption from the annual €30 levy that applies to credit card accounts. The charge is applied to an account regardless of the number of credit cards issued to the account. I am also advised by Revenue that individuals are exempt from Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) on their interest income where they, or their spouse or...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (4 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 69 and 72 together. First, I should note that while I have overall policy responsibility in relation to public service pension schemes, questions about the pension schemes of any particular public service body should be referred to the Minister of the parent Department for the body concerned. To address the general point raised, the Deputy will...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Bodies Data (4 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: In response to the Deputy's question, the Public Appointments Service (PAS) is the only body under the aegis of my Department which has a State Board. As set out in the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (in consultation with the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, the Minister for Health...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Retirements (4 Apr 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 73 together. On 5 December 2017, the Government made the decision to increase the compulsory retirement age to 70, for public servants recruited prior to 1 April 2004. Primary legislation was necessary in order to bring that change into effect. It was made clear at the time that until such legislation was enacted, the compulsory retirement age of...