Results 16,021-16,040 of 35,756 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Proposed Sale of Non-Performing Loans to Private Investment Funds (Vulture Funds): Allied Irish Banks (22 Mar 2018)

Pearse Doherty: However, I presume AIB wants to go ahead with the bonus scheme which it has announced and under this scheme the bonuses will be taxed at a rate in the region of 90%. Is that what the bank wants?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Proposed Sale of Non-Performing Loans to Private Investment Funds (Vulture Funds): Allied Irish Banks (22 Mar 2018)

Pearse Doherty: Okay, well the bank has announced a deferred bonus scheme----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Proposed Sale of Non-Performing Loans to Private Investment Funds (Vulture Funds): Allied Irish Banks (22 Mar 2018)

Pearse Doherty: Does Mr. Bourke want the Parliament to change the tax structure on bonuses?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Proposed Sale of Non-Performing Loans to Private Investment Funds (Vulture Funds): Allied Irish Banks (22 Mar 2018)

Pearse Doherty: Will the bank go ahead with the bonus scheme if we refuse to remove that provision from the Irish tax code? Let us call a spade a spade. We are all grown-ups, we know how this works. There is no way that the bank is introducing a deferred bonus scheme for senior executives which only provides 10% of the reward being provided for. The bank has done this with either an understanding or with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Proposed Sale of Non-Performing Loans to Private Investment Funds (Vulture Funds): Allied Irish Banks (22 Mar 2018)

Pearse Doherty: To add to everything that Deputy McGrath has said, I think the committee has to reflect on the attitude that AIB has brought to this committee today in terms of denying the undeniable. Deputy McGrath is correct in what he said about news clippings. RTÉ has reported this. The Wall Street Journalhas reported this. Each step along the way of the story has been reported internationally...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Funding (22 Mar 2018)

Pearse Doherty: 12. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the Structural Funds Ireland went without or had delayed as a result of the failure to have in place the information technology structure (details supplied) necessary to fulfil EU obligations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13220/18]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Services Card (22 Mar 2018)

Pearse Doherty: 20. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if an end to the roll-out of the use of public services cards for more services provided by the State will be recommended until such time as concerns over the use of the card have been addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13221/18]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (22 Mar 2018)

Pearse Doherty: 24. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason the national development plan utilises public private partnerships in view of the concerns regarding the cost of these projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13217/18]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Ministerial Meetings (22 Mar 2018)

Pearse Doherty: 54. To ask the Minister for Finance the full agenda and issues raised at his meeting with a bank (details supplied) on 26 February 2018; if the issue of the bank's proposed sale of property was discussed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13332/18]

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Tax Relief on Trade Union Subscriptions: Fórsa (21 Mar 2018)

Pearse Doherty: I refer back to the equality part the Government claimed it was putting into the Finance Bill 2011 which removed the benefit-in-kind from employers' contributions towards the subscriptions for professional bodies of their employees. Am I correct in saying that still exists today?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Tax Relief on Trade Union Subscriptions: Fórsa (21 Mar 2018)

Pearse Doherty: The claim is that it went further than that and it was reversed. Is it the case that there was lobbying to remove certain elements of it?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Tax Relief on Trade Union Subscriptions: Fórsa (21 Mar 2018)

Pearse Doherty: I wanted that clarity. I have met the witnesses' colleagues on many occasions. Richy Carrothers is a fine trade union representative from west Donegal. He has also briefed me on this. It did not take long because I support the aims of the campaign. I resisted, and campaigned and voted against it when it was introduced by the Fianna Fáil-led Government at the time. I made the...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Tax Relief on Trade Union Subscriptions: Fórsa (21 Mar 2018)

Pearse Doherty: I appreciate that. Outside the political party process, this committee has a role, irrespective of parties, whereby we can submit a report and hopefully come up with some recommendation in that regard. I return to the cost issue. The highest cost of this tax expenditure was €26.7 million in 2009. It dropped to €26 million in the year before it was abolished. At that time...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Tax Relief on Trade Union Subscriptions: Fórsa (21 Mar 2018)

Pearse Doherty: Thankfully, the number of trade union members has increased in the past year although it dipped sharply over a number of years prior to that. The cost of €26 million was based on a trade union membership of 511,000 rather than the current membership of 437,000. In that context, a cost of €26 million is probably on the high end given that it was based on a larger membership.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Tax Relief on Trade Union Subscriptions: Fórsa (21 Mar 2018)

Pearse Doherty: It is there or thereabouts.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Tax Relief on Trade Union Subscriptions: Fórsa (21 Mar 2018)

Pearse Doherty: As regards the type of tax relief at which we are looking, is it modelled on the relief abolished in 2011 by the Government in which Brian Lenihan was Minister for Finance or is it a different version? Is the relief at the standard rate and capped at €350 or is there a stepped approach involved?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Tax Relief on Trade Union Subscriptions: Fórsa (21 Mar 2018)

Pearse Doherty: The relief should be introduced at the standard rate and with the cap that was in place when it was abolished. In the context of my argument regarding the view of the Commission on Taxation, as repeated by Government Ministers today, former Ministers for Finance Brian Lenihan and Deputy Noonan and the current Minister, Deputy Donohoe, that the tax relief is dead weight and does not...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Tax Relief on Trade Union Subscriptions: Fórsa (21 Mar 2018)

Pearse Doherty: Another member wishes to contribute so I will leave it at that. I look forward to working with the trade unions in the campaign to have the relief restored.

Questions on Promised Legislation (21 Mar 2018)

Pearse Doherty: The Government, in its programme for Government, committed to commencing a review of the July provision scheme on the advice of the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, to examine issues of access and funding, with a view to extending the scheme to children with Down's syndrome. Despite this, children with Down's syndrome remain ineligible for the scheme as Down's syndrome is still...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Banking (21 Mar 2018)

Pearse Doherty: 113. To ask the Taoiseach the cost to his Department of negative interest rates on deposits held; and the details of same for agencies under his aegis. [11744/18]