Results 16,001-16,020 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Written Answers — Mortgage Interest Rates: Mortgage Interest Rates (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: It would not be appropriate for me in my role as Minister for Finance to seek to promote one type of mortgage product ahead of another. As the Deputy will be aware, there is a high degree of competition in the Irish mortgage credit market, providing a wide choice of competitively priced mortgage products to potential borrowers from several mortgage lenders. In this regard, I understand that...

Written Answers — Benchmarking Awards: Benchmarking Awards (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: As the Deputy is aware, a second benchmarking exercise is under way and is due to report in the second half of 2007. This process will be similar to the last exercise. It is difficult to anticipate the outcome at this stage but, from what we can see to date, there have been very few private sector settlements above the national agreement norms. There is nothing to suggest that the next...

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

Brian Cowen: The policy on numbers employed in the public service has succeeded in cutting back on the rapid rise in public service employment in the period 1997 to 2002. This took place at a time of significant increases both in employment in the economy generally and in the population with the corresponding increased demand for public services. Numbers employed in the Civil Service, defence, local...

Written Answers — Price Inflation: Price Inflation (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: The director general of the Central Statistics Office, CSO, has sole responsibility for and is independent in deciding the statistical methodology and professional standards to be used in compiling the consumer price index, CPI. The CPI is designed to measure the change in the average level of the prices paid by consumers for goods and services. It measures in index form the monthly changes...

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

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the Office of Public Works has identified a suitable property solution for the accommodation of 50 Revenue staff due to decentralise to Listowel. The data from the central applications facility, CAF, published in September 2004 indicated that there were 49 applications for decentralisation to Listowel. To date, 48 people have accepted official...

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

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that their Ansbacher review team has been carrying out detailed investigations since October 1999. The investigation has essentially two elements — Ansbacher-type arrangements and other cases involving offshore funds and deposits. Revenue has advised that the review team has inquired into 289 cases and, to date, the team has finalised 202 cases. The...

Written Answers — State Airports: State Airports (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: As the Deputy may be aware, I have recently answered parliamentary questions on this issue, most recently on 21 March 2006 — Parliamentary Question No. 317 in response to Deputy Quinn — when I described the operations of customs staff at Shannon and Cork Airports in some detail based on information supplied by the Revenue Commissioners. While the Revenue Commissioners ended 24 hour...

Written Answers — Banking Sector Regulation: Banking Sector Regulation (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am aware of the issue recently raised by the consumers association regarding personal loans. My function as the Minister for Finance in looking after the interests of the individual borrower is to provide an appropriate legislative framework for regulation of the financial services sector, one that is both comprehensive and robust. I am satisfied that on foot of the progress made over...

Written Answers — Special Savings Incentive Scheme: Special Savings Incentive Scheme (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: Domestic demand, including personal consumption, was the main driver of economic growth in 2005. In the budget 2006 forecasts, my Department forecast that personal consumption will continue to be a major driver of growth over the period 2006-08, supported by strong earnings and employment growth. The maturing of the SSIA accounts is expected to provide some impetus to consumption,...

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

Brian Cowen: I answered identical questions on 5 October 2005 and 28 February 2006 and informed the House then that, according to the Revenue Commissioners, the total tax debt outstanding at 31 March 2005 as reported in Revenue's annual report and in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General was €1.2 billion, not €2.5 billion as quoted by the Deputy. As with any tax system, there will always...

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

Brian Cowen: Talks on a new national partnership agreement to follow Sustaining Progress commenced recently and are ongoing. I am sure the Deputy will realise, therefore, that it would be imprudent to make any statement at this stage about any financial commitments which might arise in the context of a new agreement.

Written Answers — Fiscal Policy: Fiscal Policy (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: The Irish economy is projected to grow at around its long-term sustainable growth rate of 4.5% to 5% over the next three years, as per the economic forecasts published in the stability programme update last December. The recent interest rate rise is unlikely to have a significant impact on this outlook.

Written Answers — Tribunals of Inquiry: Tribunals of Inquiry (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I refer the Deputy to my reply to his question on this matter on 28 February 2006. The substance of that reply is as follows. In July 2004, the Government approved, on the initiative of the then Minister for Finance, reduced fees for legal representation at tribunals or inquiries established from September 2004 and to the then existing tribunals and inquiries with effect from various dates...

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

Brian Cowen: The primary mechanism for placing civil servants who are in posts which are due to decentralise but wish to remain in Dublin is by way of bilateral transfer. As staff who have applied to decentralise continue to be transferred into decentralising organisations, the posts they vacate become available to those wishing to remain in Dublin. To date, in excess of 1,200 staff have been assigned to...

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

Brian Cowen: As I have indicated in previous replies to questions of a similar nature, the interpretation of domestic tax rules is a matter for the relevant authorities of the country concerned. In respect of the normal administration of taxes in Ireland and the US, the relevant double taxation convention between both countries allows for the exchange of information concerning the taxes covered by the...

Written Answers — Fiscal Policy: Fiscal Policy (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: In my budget speech last December, I set out the Government's proposals for reforming the budgetary process. As I promised to do on budget day, I subsequently wrote to the Opposition finance spokespersons and the party Whips on 20 December last to invite them to a briefing on the Government's proposals for reform. The Fine Gael finance spokesperson has indicated his intention to accept the...

Written Answers — European Council Meetings: European Council Meetings (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: The Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, represented Ireland at the ECOFIN Council meeting in Brussels on 14 March 2006. The meeting was attended by representatives of all 25 EU member states and of Bulgaria and Romania. The preparation of the spring European Council meeting of Heads of State or Government of 23-24 March was discussed. Among the issues dealt with were the key issues...

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

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that establishing employee or subcontractor status is one of the areas they specifically concentrate on in their monitoring of tax compliance in the construction sector. On an ongoing basis, Revenue auditors, based on risk assessment, audit the books and records of a considerable number of contractors and subcontractors. The matter of employee or...

Written Answers — House Prices: House Prices (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: Residential construction has grown rapidly in recent times. Supply of housing has increased in response to strong levels of demand, which, in turn, have arisen from a number of fundamental demographic and economic factors. Total completions in 2005 reached an historic high of about 81 thousand units. Construction employment growth was also particularly strong in 2005 and now accounts for one...

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

Brian Cowen: As I set out in my reply to Question No. 53 on 28 February 2006, the aim of the Government's initiative that I announced in my budget speech is to give an impetus to the development of social finance in Ireland. This initiative can make a real contribution towards expanding social finance provision in Ireland, thereby complementing the wide range of measures that are currently in place to...