Results 16,401-16,420 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Written Answers — Departmental Appointments: Departmental Appointments (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: In my response to the Deputy's Question No. 517 of 25 January 2006 I stated that 303 appointments and reappointments had been made to State boards by my Department since 1997. Details of the boards and number of appointments made, including reappointments but excluding ex officio appointments, are outlined in the tabular statement. Name of Body No. of appointments / reappointments ...

Written Answers — National Development Finance Agency: National Development Finance Agency (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: The Government decided in July 2005 to establish a centre of expertise in the National Development Finance Agency, NDFA, to undertake the procurement of public private partnership, PPP, projects initially in the education, justice and health areas. The NDFA has commenced the new functions on an interim non-statutory basis in accordance with the Government decision pending the making of the...

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

Brian Cowen: As the Deputy will be aware, I have recently published the external and internal reviews of tax schemes undertaken at my initiative in 2005. These reviews of two dozen separate schemes were aimed at providing evidence on which to base policies going forward. The Deputy will also be aware that my predecessor as Minister for Finance introduced a number of legislative changes in the Finance Acts...

Written Answers — Consumer Price Index: Consumer Price Index (28 Feb 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. I have no functions in this matter. The EU harmonised index of consumer prices is compiled by EUROSTAT, the EU statistical office. Both the CPI and the HICP show...

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

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the most recent year for which complete information on cost to the Exchequer and numbers of claimants for tax relief regarding medical expenses is for the income tax year 2002. In that year, an estimated 143,850 claimants availed of the tax relief for medical expenses, at an estimated cost to the Exchequer of €63 million.

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

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the most recent year for which complete information on cost to the Exchequer and numbers of claimants for tax relief regarding claims for rent paid in private tenancies is for the income tax year 2002. In 2002, an estimated 2,000 claimants aged over 55 and 95,400 claimants aged 55 and under availed of the tax relief for rent paid in private...

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

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the most recent year for which complete information on cost to the Exchequer and numbers of claimants for tax relief regarding local authority service charges is for the income tax year 2002. In that year, an estimated 124,900 claimants availed of the tax relief for the service charges, at an estimated cost to the Exchequer of €5.2 million....

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

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the numbers of P45 forms, part 1, recorded to date in respect of the years specified are as follows: Year Number 2003 637,240 2004 592,795 2005 565,386 In addition to those centrally processed P45 forms, Revenue staff may also process a small number of P45s locally, for which no statistics are available. However, those would be...

Written Answers — Credit Union Legislation: Credit Union Legislation (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 239 and 240 together. The Credit Union Act 1997 provides the legal framework for the regulation of credit unions. The Act was designed to provide the credit union movement with a regulatory structure that reflected and promoted the particular ethos and philosophy of the credit union movement, its strong tradition of volunteer service and the core objective of...

Written Answers — Tax Clearance Certificates: Tax Clearance Certificates (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: Revenue has no record of a C2 application ever being received in respect of this case. However, a tax clearance application was received and was dealt with by Revenue on 20 February 2006. It should either be with the taxpayer now or in the post.

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

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the authorisation under the disabled drivers and disabled passengers tax concession scheme was issued for the first time to the person concerned on 17 February 2006. A person admitted to the disabled passenger element of the scheme may apply for a repayment of excise duty on fuel used in the vehicle, for the actual transport of the person with...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: There are 13 officers on the payroll of my Department who are serving outside the Department at presents as follows: Grade of officer Where serving Assistant Principal European Institute of Public Administration, Maastricht Assistant Principal* Ordnance Survey Ireland Assistant Principal* Department of Social and Family Affairs Assistant Principal* Southern and Eastern...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (28 Feb 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 indeed Government policy to take greenhouse gas emission 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...

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

Brian Cowen: The Office of Public Works is responsible for both property procurement and disposal. The overall objective is to ensure that property being acquired at a regional level be matched as closely as possible, both in time and in cost terms, by the disposal of property currently held in the Dublin region, whether held on lease or otherwise. No final decisions have been made yet on the disposal,...

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the taxpayer was telephoned by his local tax office directly on Friday 24 September 2006. All his inquiries have been addressed and revised tax credit certificates for him, his employer and his pension provider are being issued.

Written Answers — Financial Services Regulation: Financial Services Regulation (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: Irish legislation on money laundering is set out in the Criminal Justice Act 1994, as amended. Primary responsibility for legislation in this area rests with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. This legislation and relevant regulations made by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform implemented the EU money laundering directives of 1991 and 2001 in Ireland. The...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: Inflation here is running at close to historically low levels. The level of employment is at an all-time high and the unemployment rate is the lowest in the EU. The Deputy's concerns therefore are misplaced. Nonetheless, it is vital to retain competitiveness and this Government's policies are aimed at this, via correct fiscal policies, no excise increases and the progressive removal of...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (28 Feb 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 (28 Feb 2006)

Brian Cowen: To date, more than 1,150 civil servants have been assigned to decentralising posts. This represents 16% of the overall number of approximately 7,200 Civil Service posts earmarked for decentralisation. Many of them are located in Dublin for a transition period to enable effective transfer of skills and knowledge and to ensure quality customer service continues to be delivered as...

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

Brian Cowen: A special interdepartmental review group reviewed the operation of the disabled drivers scheme. The terms of reference of the group were to examine the operation of the existing scheme, including the difficulties experienced by the various groups and individuals involved with it, and to consider the feasibility of alternative schemes, with a view to assisting the Minister for Finance in...