Results 15,981-16,000 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 92 together. A number of legislative and regulatory measures to increase the protection of investors, including those who hold shares electronically, are currently being considered by an expert working group established under the aegis of my Department. The membership of the working group is composed of industry and consumer representatives as well as...

Written Answers — National Development Plan: National Development Plan (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13, 38, 48, 74 and 88 together. Last August the Government announced its decision to prepare a successor to the current National Development Plan 2000-2006. The next NDP will cover the period 2007 to 2013 and its preparation is being co-ordinated by my Department. A high level steering group chaired by my Department and comprising senior officials of relevant...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: Article 87(1) of the EC Treaty prohibits, in general terms, the granting of aid by the state which distorts competition by favouring certain undertakings or the production of certain goods, in so far as the aid is liable to affect trade between member states. There are a number of components to this provision, all of which must be met before a particular type of support can be classified as a...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 15, 33, 55, 59, 63 and 81 together. Both the Government and I have made it clear that participation in the decentralisation programme is voluntary. From the outset guarantees have been provided at Government level that all those employees not wishing to transfer out of Dublin will be facilitated with an alternative public service post in Dublin. This position...

Written Answers — Pay Rates: Pay Rates (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: The Government position on public service pay is very clear. The public service must be able to attract and retain a reasonable proportion of good quality staff at all levels. In this respect, it should neither lead the field, nor trail behind. The independent benchmarking process affords a means whereby painstaking comparisons between public service jobs and their counterparts in the private...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: When the decentralisation programme was announced the Government appointed a decentralisation implementation group to drive the process forward. The implementation group asked that all organisations participating in the programme should prepare detailed implementation plans, including risk mitigation plans. These plans were prepared and submitted to the group. In its July 2004 report, the...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: The latest figures from the central applications facility show there is very substantial interest in the programme. To date there have been over 10,600 applications made to the central applications facility. Of these over 50% are from Dublin based staff. The following is the current position in relation to promotions policy and decentralisation. In the Civil Service, progress has been made in...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: When the decentralisation programme was announced, the Government appointed a decentralisation implementation group to drive the process forward. The group formally submits its reports on progress with implementation of the programme to me which I then submit to the Government for its consideration. The Government has approved the recommendations contained in the group's reports published in...

Written Answers — Social Partnership: Social Partnership (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: Talks on a new national partnership agreement to follow Sustaining Progress commenced recently. Although it would be imprudent to make any detailed statement at this stage about these talks, I will say that I am concerned about the decline in cost competitiveness in recent years. This is having an impact on employment in the exposed sectors of the economy. We must maintain and improve the...

Written Answers — EU Funding: EU Funding (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 130 together. The Government is very aware of the valuable role that PEACE II and its predecessor, PEACE I, have played in building peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border region. Therefore, I am very glad to be able to report that due to efforts of the Irish and the British Governments, the agreement at the European Council of 16...

Written Answers — Revenue Investigations: Revenue Investigations (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that arising from the Clerical Medical Insurance-NIB inquiry, 465 cases have been targeted for investigation. To date, 306 cases have been settled on payment of tax, interest and penalties amounting to a total of €53.78 million. A further 122 cases have been finalised with no additional liability arising. The remaining 37 cases are the subject of...

Written Answers — Tax Yield: Tax Yield (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: As the Deputy may be aware, the monthly Exchequer returns are available on my Department's website, as are my Department's receipts, expenditure and debt service profiles for 2006. The results for the first two months of 2006 confirm that the public finances remain sound. There was an Exchequer surplus of €2,415 million at end-February. Tax receipts to end-February at €7,310 million were...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: While the promotion of biofuels is primarily a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, I am pleased to inform the Deputy that in the Finance Bill 2006, which has just completed its passage through the Dáil and Seanad, I have provided for significant tax measures to promote biofuels in Ireland. The new large scale scheme of excise relief for...

Written Answers — Tax Clearance Certificates: Tax Clearance Certificates (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the issue of approximately 2.2 million individual tax credit certificates to PAYE customers reflecting the budget changes was completed at the end of February. The timescale for completion of the bulk issue this year was of the order of two to three weeks longer than usual. A dimension for 2006 was the new PAYE computer system put in place by...

Written Answers — Motor Vehicle Registration: Motor Vehicle Registration (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: With regard to car registration regulation, the Revenue Commissioners are the vehicle registration authority in the State. I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the owner-driver of a vehicle is responsible for ensuring that his or her vehicle registration plates comply with the law and it is an offence under section 139(1)(b) of the Finance Act 1992 to be in possession of a vehicle...

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27, 34, 50 and 69 together. I have seen the report of the Information Commissioner concerning non-disclosure provisions. The report was submitted to the Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service as part of the process under section 32 of the Freedom of Information Acts whereby an authorised joint committee of both Houses of the Oireachtas is required...

Written Answers — Employment Levels: Employment Levels (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: The CSO's most recent employment figures, taken from the quarterly national household survey, show that average employment in 2005 was 1,952,000 people. This was an increase of 87,000 jobs or 4.7% on 2004. The sectors making the greatest contribution to this increase were construction, up by 30,900 or 14.4%, financial and other business services, up by 18,500 or 7.7%, wholesale and retail...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: From the outset, the Government has made it clear that participation in the decentralisation programme is voluntary. Due to the nature of the programme, it is not possible at this stage to estimate the number of public servants who do not wish to relocate as individual circumstances are open to change and, therefore, figures can fluctuate. The picture will become clearer over the coming...

Written Answers — Public Service Contracts: Public Service Contracts (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: Public procurement guidelines issued by my Department require contracting authorities to ensure that tenderers have regard to minimum pay and other legally binding industrial or sectoral agreements when preparing tenders and that tender documents should have an appropriate reference to this. Regulations to transpose recently revised EU directives on public procurement currently being...

Written Answers — National Pension Reserve Fund: National Pension Reserve Fund (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: The National Pensions Reserve Fund Commission is independent of the Government in the exercise of its functions. Under the National Pensions Reserve Fund Act 2000, it controls and manages the fund with discretionary authority to determine and implement the fund's investment strategy. This strategy is based on a commercial investment mandate with the objective of securing the optimal return...