Results 16,201-16,220 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (22 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I have been advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the taxpayer's claim for tax relief on refuse charges has been processed and notification of refunds arising to her, dated 20 March 2006, has been issued.

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (22 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that 2.2 million individual tax credit certificates reflecting the budget changes were issued in the 2006 "bulk issue". Errors or other problems relating to tax credit certificates may arise for a number of reasons, for instance, at the time of the bulk issue each year, Revenue may not be aware of changed circumstances of certain customers. This can...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (22 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that they are aware of the growing customer service pressures in their public offices. The additional pressures are due to an increased number of customers, an increasing number of customers who have more than one employment and the number of customers who do not have English as their first language. In response to these pressures and to improve...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (22 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the most recent relevant information available is in respect of income tax relief allowed for contributions to "retirement annuity contracts" for the income tax year 2002, which are available to the self-employed and to employees not in occupational pension schemes. On the basis of these data, some 1,300, or0.3%, of the lowest-earning 20% of...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (22 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: The new child minding scheme, which I announced in budget 2006, provides for tax relief for certain income arising from the provision of child care services. Under the scheme, where the gross annual income from the provision of child care services does not exceed €10,000, the income is fully exempt from tax. However, the care must be provided in the child minder's home and no more than...

Written Answers — Disabled Drivers: Disabled Drivers (21 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I understand that the appeal referred to by the Deputy is an appeal to the disabled drivers medical board of appeal in connection with a refusal of a primary medical certificate, necessary for qualification for the tax exemptions under the disabled drivers and disabled passengers (tax concessions) scheme. The medical board of appeal is independent in its functions. Queries in respect of the...

Written Answers — Regional Development: Regional Development (21 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I take it that the group of Ministers to which the Deputy is referring is the group which was established in 1997 by the previous Government to perform a specific task. It was established to facilitate regular contact between the then Minister of State with special responsibility for rural development and ministerial colleagues from the west on matters of concern to the Western Development...

Written Answers — Flexible Work Practices: Flexible Work Practices (21 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I assume the Deputy is referring to the term time arrangements that apply in the Civil Service and in certain parts of the public service. In replying, I will refer to the arrangements in the Civil Service for which I have direct responsibility. In December 2000, term time was introduced as a pilot scheme for all civil servants covered by the conciliation and arbitration scheme and provided...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (21 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I have been advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the person has not paid any income tax on his pensions because his income has been below the relevant exemption limits. He has consequently not been in contact with Revenue for many years. However, deposit interest retention tax was deducted from interest which he and his wife received on their investment income. Owing to their age and...

Written Answers — Motor Vehicle Registration: Motor Vehicle Registration (21 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: With regard to car registration regulations, 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-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 — Tax Code: Tax Code (21 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: The position is that the VAT rating of goods and services is subject to the requirements of EU VAT law with which Irish VAT law must comply. Member states are only able to apply the reduced VAT rate to those goods and services which are listed under annex H of the EU Sixth VAT Directive. As the service referred to by the Deputy is not listed under annex H, it would not be possible to apply...

Written Answers — Liquor Licensing Laws: Liquor Licensing Laws (21 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the comprehensive and up-to-date list of all premises licensed to sell intoxicating liquor by retail in Cork City and County, as held by the Revenue Commissioners on 9 March 2006, comprises a total of 1,782 licences. A copy of the list, which exceeds 90 pages, is being forwarded to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Motor Vehicle Registration: Motor Vehicle Registration (21 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that an on-line vehicle registration tax system is available since November 2002. Using the Revenue on-line service, ROS, motor dealers can register new vehicles on-line in their own time seven days a week. More than 94% of all new vehicles are registered via ROS. As regards payment of VRT, motor dealers also arrange payment of the VRT due when...

Written Answers — Electronic Projects: Electronic Projects (21 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: The e-Estimates project was completed according to specification early in 2005. It went into live implementation in April 2005 and was fully operational for the 2006 Estimates cycle.

Written Answers — Environmental Policy: Environmental Policy (21 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: The climate change strategy says that from 2002 onwards taxes will begin to take into account the amounts of greenhouse gases produced in any activity. It is Government policy to take greenhouse gas emissions into account when formulating or developing tax policy in any particular area. In September 2004, the Government decided not to introduce a specific carbon tax, following a thorough...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (21 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am satisfied that good progress continues to be made on this ambitious programme. I am particularly pleased with the continuing popularity of the programme among civil and public servants. There are approximately 10,600 applications on the central applications facility. I would like to refer the Deputy to the decentralisation implementation group's report of June 2005 which identified...

Written Answers — Fiscal Policy: Fiscal Policy (21 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 billion at the end of February. Tax receipts to the end of February, at €7.310...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (21 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am aware that in recent years the Revenue Commissioners have taken advantage of developments in technology to deliver more and enhanced facilities for customers. There are three main areas where Revenue has developed services with a strong customer focus, the Revenue on-line service, ROS, the Revenue website and their telephony service. The Revenue on-line service offers customers or their...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (21 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: Stamp duty is a charge on documents, which are mostly legal documents, used in the transfer of property. Where a property is purchased or swapped, stamp duty is charged on the conveyance or transfer effecting change of legal ownership of the property concerned. Under the stamp duty code, a developer can obtain a licence from a vendor to build on land owned by the vendor without incurring a...

Written Answers — State Airports: State Airports (21 Mar 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that they do not have information on the numbers of flight movements into and out of Cork, Dublin or Shannon airports going back to 2002. Such information is the property of the airport authority. It has not been possible to get the same level of detail on flight movements from the relevant authority for each airport, with the result that some...