Results 15,761-15,780 of 32,864 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Estimates Process (28 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I do not recollect those policies yielding a surplus. If the Deputy ever holds the job of Minister for Finance, it is very unlikely that he would make the case for sustained surpluses within our economy.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Estimates Process (28 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am sure the Deputy would be looking to spend the surplus immediately.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Estimates Process (28 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Deputy Burton asked how much the move we have made in relation to deferred accounting will cost this year. We do not have a figure for the cost this year, for the simple reason that if a disorderly Brexit takes place, it will clearly create economic costs and difficulties which we have tried to quantify. It is difficult for me to be able to say what exactly the mitigating effect of this...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Estimates Process (28 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: There is a difference between a budget being balanced and a budget moving into surplus. I am quite happy to look at the different proposals and alternative budgets that Deputies submit to me. However, I do not recollect Deputies Broughan or Boyd Barrett ever saying we should raise money that we should not spend.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Estimates Process (28 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I stand to be corrected by the Deputy.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Estimates Process (28 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am sure the Deputy will correct me if he is moving to a hawkish position on the national finances of the country.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Estimates Process (28 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: If that is the Deputy's view, his surplus credentials are already weakening. I have outlined on a number of occasions all of the different things we have tried to do to deal with a no-Brexit scenario. In response to some earlier questions, I outlined where the Revenue is from a staff point of view and the work we are doing from an infrastructure point of view. A number of weeks ago, the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Betting Regulations (28 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The increase in betting duty from 1% to 2% and the increase in the betting intermediary duty rate came into effect on 1 January 2019. The last time the duty rate was increased was 1975. At 1%, betting duty was at an all-time low. Receipts from betting duty represented less than 1% of all excise receipts in 2017. It is likely that this will also be the case in 2018. In the course of last...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Issues (28 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: We are not planning to have the same infrastructure in place at or near the Border as in Dublin Port. That is exactly what we are trying to avoid at the moment. On recruitment and the resources sought by the Revenue Commissioners to deal with the new customs procedures to be put in place, I have made those resources available. I gave an overview on Tuesday evening of the different sections...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (28 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for bring this matter to my attention and the attention of the House. One of the functions of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman is that he may advise and, as appropriate, make recommendations to the Government in respect of any proposed legislative changes concerning financial services or pensions. I sought the ombudsman’s observations on section...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (28 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Given the work the Deputy has done with the office of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman, I hope he is aware, and I am sure he is, of how seriously that office takes its responsibilities and the important work it does in this area. The office has indicated to me that it does not believe there is a need for this change to the Act. All I have in the details supplied as part of this...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (28 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I have three points in response. Regarding the resources available to the office of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman, I recently visited its new facilities located around the corner from the Houses of the Oireachtas. Those new facilities allow the ombudsman’s office to meet citizens and follow up on issues raised. It will also be possible for the Financial Services and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Reliefs Data (28 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: As I said, it is precisely because of the concerns the Deputy has just articulated that I have decided to make this change. In terms of its revenue impact, in the grander scheme of what we collect, I expect it will make a small contribution over time. I have decided this change has to be made on the grounds of tax equity. It was an appropriate and a correct decision at a point in 2012,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Reliefs Data (28 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am happy to continue this dialogue with the Deputy and the committee throughout this year. The only objective of the scheme should be that we are providing support to individuals who play a role in either the retention or creation of jobs. Having evaluated the scheme against those objectives, I decided that the reapplication of the cap was needed in the context of the growth of the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Issues (28 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: When the UK leaves the EU, it will become a third country from a customs perspective and the free circulation and free movement of goods between the EU and the UK will end. This will increase substantially the number of businesses that will have to complete customs formalities and other related obligations for trade with the UK and through the UK landbridge to the EU. This will present a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Issues (28 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The commitments I gave in regard to figures for additional staff for the Revenue Commissioners were that an additional 400 would be recruited by the end of this March, and we will deliver that. A further 200 will then need to be recruited and, in turn, we will deliver that as well. The 3,000 to which the Deputy referred might be the number of people who applied for these roles. There was a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Preparations (28 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I will be doing so in order to ensure that Rosslare Europort is at the right stage of readiness for dealing with a disorderly Brexit. I understand that the purchase of the proposed site has been completed. If I am wrong in that assumption, I will contact the Deputy about the matter in the coming days. However, my understanding is that its has happened. In the context of what will be...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Preparations (28 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: To answer the core question regarding how we will deal with the area between the port and where the checking will take place, a traffic management system will be required to do that. A system of automatic number plate recognition will be put in place to ensure that as trucks and other vehicles are leaving the port, we can track how and when they arrive in the area within which they will be...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Reliefs Data (28 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: SARP continues to be an important incentive. As the Deputy is aware, under the Finance Act 2018, there is no change in the level of income tax relief available in 2019 for existing beneficiaries of the programme and the new cap of €1 million is scheduled to apply to such taxpayers from 1 January 2020. In bringing forward such an approach, I was mindful of the need to proceed in a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Credit Union Lending (28 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The credit unions are being supported precisely because we are recognising the potentially larger role they could play in the sector. A review of this has been under way and it has been led by the Central Bank because it is the regulatory body for the credit unions. I met representatives of all the credit unions a number of weeks ago in my Department and it was a very productive meeting to...