Results 16,361-16,380 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 111 together. I am aware that, in its recent recommendation in a dispute between SIPTU and FÁS concerning decentralisation and FÁS contracts of employment, the Labour Court expressed the opinion that FÁS was in breach of the consultation procedure provided for in the company-union industrial relations procedure agreement. However, the court went on...

Written Answers — Fiscal Policy: Fiscal Policy (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: As I informed the House on 13 December 2005, to date, the Commission has not made a formal proposal on the common consolidated corporate tax base. At the informal Ecofin in September 2004 it was agreed that the Commission should establish a technical working group to consider such matters. While we opposed such a move, we, like all other member states, are participating in the group without...

Written Answers — National Agreements: National Agreements (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: Talks on a new national partnership agreement to follow Sustaining Progress commenced recently and are ongoing. 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 — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 219 together. I am aware of Norway's policy on the investment of its government pension fund. However, the goal set for the national pensions reserve fund, NPRF, from the outset under its establishing legislation, the National Pensions Reserve Fund Act 2000, has been to secure the optimal return over the long term, having regard to the purpose of the...

Written Answers — Consumer Price Index: Consumer Price Index (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: The director general of the Central Statistics Office has sole responsibility for and is independent in deciding the statistical methodology and professional standards to be used in compiling the consumer price index. 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 in the cost...

Written Answers — Employment Figures: Employment Figures (28 Feb 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 — Tax Evasion: Tax Evasion (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: The following is the up-to-date position on court prosecutions initiated for tax evasion. In 1997 there was one prosecution and one conviction. A fine of €635 was imposed with no custodial sentence. In 1998 there were six cases and eight convictions; fines totalling €42,854 were imposed. There were two custodial sentences, one of six months suspended and one of two years suspended. In...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: The scheme of capital allowances for the construction of private hospitals was reviewed by Indecon Economic Consultants as part of the overall review of property tax incentives in 2005. Indecon consulted widely in the course of its review, including consultations with the Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive. Its report was published on 6 February 2006 and is...

Written Answers — Mortgage Protection Insurance: Mortgage Protection Insurance (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: Mortgage protection insurance is to provide, in the event of the death of the borrower, for the payment of a sum equal to the outstanding balance of the loan, although some policies may also offer greater life cover or an investment element. Mortgage protection policies are usually put in place at the time of drawdown of a mortgage loan and the annual or monthly premium is calculated on the...

Written Answers — Revenue Investigations: Revenue Investigations (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: 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 €53.72 million. A further 122 cases have been finalised with no additional liability arising. The remaining 37 cases are the subject of ongoing investigation, in respect of which...

Written Answers — Special Savings Incentive Scheme: Special Savings Incentive Scheme (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: Domestic demand, including personal consumption, was the main driver of economic growth in 2005. In the budget 2006 forecasts the 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 Incentive Schemes: Tax Incentive Schemes (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 120, 132 and 140 together. In my 2005 Budget Statement I announced that a review of a broad range of tax incentive schemes would be undertaken in 2005. The review process included studies by external consultants Indecon and Goodbody Economic Consultants, as well as internal reviews by officials from the Department of Finance and the Office of the Revenue...

Written Answers — Public Service Contracts: Public Service Contracts (28 Feb 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 transposing recently revised EU directives on public procurement, currently being...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: Figures for the total yield from various special investigations and initiatives by the Revenue Commissioners for the years 1998 to 2005 and updated to 31 January 2006 are set out in the following table. I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that further information on the yields from the various special investigations and initiatives can be found on the Revenue Commissioners website at...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: As reported in the most recent annual report of the Office of the Revenue Commissioners and in the most recent report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, the total tax debt outstanding at 31 March 2005 was €1.2 billion, not the €2.5 billion quoted by the Deputy. I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that, as with any tax system, there will always be people who pay late, evade...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: The Revenue Commissioners' study, Effective Tax Rates of the Top 400 Earners: Report for the Tax Year 2001, was published by my Department in March last year. I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that their report on a study of the effective tax rates of the top 400 earners in 2002 is near completion. This will be published by my Department in due course.

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: I refer the Deputy to my reply to a similar Parliamentary Question from Deputy Costello on 9 November 2005 which set out the background to this issue with regard to ongoing contacts with the European Commission. With regard to the future of the tax exemption for stallion fees, I announced in my Budget Statement of 7 December 2005 that this provision will be discontinued from 31 July 2008, the...

Written Answers — Disabled Drivers: Disabled Drivers (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: I presume that the Deputy means to refer to an extension of the persons eligible for the disabled drivers and disabled passengers tax concessions according to their disability status. The disability criteria for eligibility for the tax concessions under this scheme are set out in the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations 1994. A person must be severely and...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: During the course of 2004 and 2005 the tax relief for stallion stud fees as provided for under section 231 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 was the subject of ongoing discussions between the Irish authorities and the European Commission, with particular regard to the State aid aspects of the relief. In that context, the policy background to the tax scheme was considered extensively. No...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (28 Feb 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. New applications for decentralisation continue to be received and over 1,300 new applications have been received since September 2004....