Results 15,721-15,740 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (23 May 2006)

Brian Cowen: I have been advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the person's claims for relief in respect of medical expenses for the years 2004 and 2005 have been dealt with. However, as neither the person nor his wife paid any tax for these years there is no refund due. There is no provision in the Income Tax Acts for any refund in respect of medical expenses to be made by Revenue where no income tax...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (23 May 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that in the case referred to by the Deputy, an application for refund of stamp duty has been received by them and is currently being processed. In order to finalise the refund the original deed, which is currently held in the Land Registry, is required. Arrangements have been put in place for its delivery. On receipt of this deed, the Revenue...

Written Answers — Official Hospitality: Official Hospitality (23 May 2006)

Brian Cowen: My Department does not have a wine cellar.

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (23 May 2006)

Brian Cowen: The Revenue Commissioners do not have a specific role in ascertaining price fixing of fuel prices, or in any other area for that matter. This issue falls under an agency under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Of course, my Department is always concerned with factors that influence consumer price developments, given the need to reduce inflation and...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (23 May 2006)

Brian Cowen: It is assumed that what the Deputy means is that the employee (PAYE) tax credit would be abolished and the personal tax credit would be correspondingly increased by €1,490 for a single person and by €2,980 for a married couple. The position is that the PAYE allowance, as it was then, was introduced in 1980 to improve the tax position of PAYE taxpayers and to take account of the fact that...

Written Answers — Tax Yield: Tax Yield (23 May 2006)

Brian Cowen: Total current receipts, between tax and non tax revenue, paid into the Exchequer in the year ended 31 December 2005 amounted to €39,849 million. A breakdown of Exchequer receipts and expenditure for 2005 is included in the Exchequer Statement published by my Department on 4 January 2006 and available on my Department's website. The breakdown as requested by the Deputy is as follows: ...

Written Answers — Government Revenue: Government Revenue (23 May 2006)

Brian Cowen: As shown in the end-2005 Exchequer Statement, published on my Department's website, the breakdown of the sources of non-tax Exchequer Revenue for 2005 is as follows:

Written Answers — Disabled Drivers: Disabled Drivers (23 May 2006)

Brian Cowen: Relief from taxes for people with disabilities is governed by the Disabled Drivers and the Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations 1994, S.I No. 353 of 1994. Paragraph 15 refers to early disposal of vehicles relieved of taxes under the scheme. I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners, that the earliest date of disposal of the person's current vehicle without a tax claw-back is 18...

Written Answers — Afforestation Programme: Afforestation Programme (23 May 2006)

Brian Cowen: I presume the Deputy is referring to the National Pensions Reserve Fund Commission, which is responsible for the investment of the National Pensions Reserve Fund. The Commission is independent of Government in the exercise of its functions. It controls and manages the Fund with discretionary authority to determine and implement the Fund's investment strategy in accordance with the Fund...

Written Answers — Bank Charges: Bank Charges (23 May 2006)

Brian Cowen: Stamp duty exists on various financial cards in order to provide Exchequer revenue. The stamp duty on cheques, bills of exchange and promissory notes has existed for many years with no exemptions of the kind referred to by the deputy. When electronic means of money transfers were subsequently introduced, stamp duty was gradually extended to these products to ensure that the stamp duty from...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (23 May 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am advised by both the Public Appointments Service and the Valuation Office that the number of people who have indicated their desire to decentralise to Youghal with these offices is 105 and 23 respectively. In accordance with the indicative timescale set out in a report from the Decentralisation Implementation Group both Offices are working towards decentralising to Youghal in mid 2009. I...

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (23 May 2006)

Brian Cowen: As the Minister for Finance, I am responsible for the policy in relation to the employment of people with disabilities in the Civil Service. As part of a review of policy on the employment of people with a disability in the Civil Service, my Department commissioned independent research on the operation of the 3% employment target. A survey carried out as part of this research which was...

Written Answers — Flexible Work Practices: Flexible Work Practices (23 May 2006)

Brian Cowen: The Civil Service has had family friendly working arrangements available for nearly 20 years. The schemes are available in all areas of the Civil Service. The main schemes are worksharing, flexitime and term time. Worksharing allows staff to job share or to adopt a part-time attendance pattern, subject to the business requirements. Flexitime gives staff flexibility to vary their starting and...

Written Answers — Disabled Drivers: Disabled Drivers (23 May 2006)

Brian Cowen: The Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Scheme provides relief from VAT and VRT (up to certain limit) on the purchase of a car adapted for the transport of a person with specific severe and permanent physical disabilities, as well as relief from excise on the fuel used in the car up to a certain limit. A special Interdepartmental Review Group reviewed the operation of...

Written Answers — Disabled Drivers: Disabled Drivers (23 May 2006)

Brian Cowen: The Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Scheme provides relief from VAT and VRT (up to certain limit) on the purchase of a car adapted for the transport of a person with specific severe and permanent physical disabilities, as well as relief from excise on the fuel used in the car up to a certain limit. A special Interdepartmental Review Group reviewed the operation of...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (23 May 2006)

Brian Cowen: I would like to state the Government's full commitment to the decentralisation programme. The Decentralisation Implementation Group, chaired by Mr. Finbarr Flood, was established to drive the process forward and to oversee its effective delivery. The Group, recognising that it would not be feasible for all organisations to move at the same time, proposed phasing arrangements and revised...

Written Answers — House Prices: House Prices (23 May 2006)

Brian Cowen: House price inflation has been accelerating since September 2005. According to the ESRI Permanent TSB house price index, the year on year growth rate increased from 6.2% year on year to September to 12.1% year on year to March 2006. The Financial Regulator has already drawn attention to the need for lenders to act prudently in extending credit, especially for house purchase, and for borrowers...

Written Answers — Fiscal Policy: Fiscal Policy (23 May 2006)

Brian Cowen: The Government's approach to taxation and to the delivery of public services is set out in An Agreed Programme for Government and recent Budgets, Finance Bills, Estimates for Public Services and Public Capital Programmes. Our taxation policy is designed to maintain and strengthen the competitive position of the economy, foster economic and social development, and equity, while maintaining a...

Written Answers — Price Inflation: Price Inflation (23 May 2006)

Brian Cowen: Inflation, as measured by annual changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), was 3.8 per cent in April. A large proportion of the rise in the annual inflation rate is due to external factors such as higher oil prices and recent rises in interest rates by the ECB. Maintaining a moderate rate of inflation remains a key priority of economic policy because of its importance in restoring...

Written Answers — Price Inflation: Price Inflation (23 May 2006)

Brian Cowen: Inflation, as measured by annual changes in the Harmonised Index of Consumer Price Index (HICP), in Ireland was 2.7% in April. The euro area average HICP in the same period was 2.4%. For most of the last two years, HICP inflation in Ireland has been broadly in line with the euro area average. Maintaining a moderate rate of inflation remains a key priority of economic policy because of its...