Results 16,721-16,740 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (13 Dec 2005)

Brian Cowen: This is an issue that has been raised on a number of occasions in recent years. When this issue arose on Committee Stage of the Finance Bill 2005, I undertook to examine it in the context of this year's budget and Finance Bill. In my Budget Statement, I announced changes to the current VAT registration thresholds for small businesses. These thresholds are being increased from €25,500 to...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (13 Dec 2005)

Brian Cowen: I have been informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the tax compliance testing programme was rolled out in November 2004 and is used as a random case selection tool in 2005 to test compliance on a number of fronts. It tests payment compliance, filing compliance and reporting compliance. Some 400 cases were allocated to the various regions and to large cases division. Most of these cases...

Written Answers — Tax Yield: Tax Yield (13 Dec 2005)

Brian Cowen: I have already issued a press statement regarding the end of November Exchequer returns, which is available on my Department's website. The results for the first 11 months of the year indicate that the public finances remain in a sound position. Tax Revenue, at €36,879 million, was just over €1.7 billion or 4.9% ahead of profile at end November. Year on year tax receipts were up 10.7%...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (13 Dec 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that 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 €53.65 million, of which €4.95 million was paid during 2005. A further 121 cases have been finalised with no additional liability...

Written Answers — National Development Plan: National Development Plan (13 Dec 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am broadly satisfied with the rate of both financial and physical implementation of the national development plan, NDP. The monitoring committee for the national development plan and the community support framework meets this week to consider progress on the NDP overall to end June 2005. It is estimated that approximately €39 billion or some 88% of the profiled expenditure for the period...

Written Answers — Public Service Staff: Public Service Staff (13 Dec 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am aware of the statement made by the chief executive of the Equality Authority. Speaking at the launch of the publication "Equal Status Acts 2000 to 2004 and Provision of Health Services"— a joint initiative of the Equality Authority, the Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive — the chief executive praised the health sector for demonstrating leadership in...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (13 Dec 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that 50 people are required to staff the office in Listowel. As at 1 December 2005, 41 people have accepted a formal offer to decentralise to Listowel. Offers are still being made and it is expected to have the required number of people secured before the actual move to Listowel, which is scheduled to take place at the end of 2006.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (13 Dec 2005)

Brian Cowen: Due to the nature of the programme it is not possible at this stage to estimate the number of civil and public servants who do not wish to leave Dublin, as individual circumstances are open to change and figures can fluctuate. The picture will become clearer over the coming period as staff continue to be assigned to decentralising organisations. In addition, the new applications to...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (13 Dec 2005)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 and 109 together. In budget 2005, I announced a major review of tax reliefs to achieve a greater degree of equity in our tax system, and to evaluate whether the various tax incentive schemes continued to be justified in light of the benefits arising. This process involved both internal reviews conducted by the Department of Finance and the Office of the...

Written Answers — Interest Rates: Interest Rates (13 Dec 2005)

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 week. The recent interest rate rise is unlikely to have a determining impact on this outlook. Its effect on inflation, through an increase in mortgage repayments, is incorporated in the...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (13 Dec 2005)

Brian Cowen: A 20% tax credit applies to companies that incur incremental expenditure on research and development. The credit was introduced in 2004 and it is too early for a detailed evaluation. The Revenue Commissioners have made specific provisions for collection of data on costs through company tax returns; thus information will be available on the costs of the credit in due course.

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (13 Dec 2005)

Brian Cowen: The National Pensions Reserve Fund Commission is independent of Government in the exercise of its functions. It controls and manages the fund with discretionary authority to determine and implement the fund's investment strategy. This investment strategy is based on a commercial investment mandate with the objective of securing the optimal return over the long term, subject to prudent risk...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (13 Dec 2005)

Brian Cowen: When the decentralisation programme was announced by my predecessor he appointed a decentralisation implementation group to drive the process forward. The group's terms of reference include the examination of how decentralisation might enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the public service. The implementation group asked that all organisations participating in the programme should...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (13 Dec 2005)

Brian Cowen: The centre for management organisation and development in my Department operates a delegated sanctioning regime for ICT expenditure where Departments and offices are required to submit a broad value for money justification for each of their major ICT project proposals. This justification has to receive my Department's approval prior to any project commencement. The delegation arrangements...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (13 Dec 2005)

Brian Cowen: The artists' tax exemption was one of the exemptions reviewed by my Department in consultation with the Revenue Commissioners as part of this year's overall review of tax reliefs and exemptions. Prior to budget 2006, I met the Arts Council to discuss the exemption with it. At that meeting, the Arts Council presented me with a copy of the testimonials, so my attention has been drawn to them....

Written Answers — Special Savings Incentive Scheme: Special Savings Incentive Scheme (13 Dec 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that based on the analysis of the 2004 SSIA annual returns furnished by all qualifying savings managers, the total number of active accounts at 31 December 2004 was 1,094,294 and the average monthly subscription at that date was €175. This is the latest date for which figures are available. As indicated in replies to previous questions, it is not...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (13 Dec 2005)

Brian Cowen: Section 18(2) of the National Pensions Reserve Fund Act 2000, under which the National Pensions Reserve Fund was established, states: "that there shall be paid by the Minister into the Fund from the Central Fund or the growing produce thereof, in equal quarterly instalments, a sum equivalent to one per cent of Gross National Product". By the end of 2005 a total in excess of €1,320 million...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (13 Dec 2005)

Brian Cowen: I have no plans to change the scale or scope of the decentralisation programme. There have been about 10,600 applications for decentralisation so far. New applications are being received every week. Since the closing of the priority application period in September 2004, an average of 100 new applications have been received every month for the past 14 months. I have no reason to believe this...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (13 Dec 2005)

Brian Cowen: The CSO's most recent employment figures, taken from the quarterly national household survey, showed that there were 1,989,800 people employed in the third quarter of 2005. This was an annual increase of 96,200 jobs, or 5%. The sectors making the greatest contribution to this increase were construction, up by 13.7%, and financial and other business services, which increased by 8.3%....

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (13 Dec 2005)

Brian Cowen: Residency rules were last updated in the 1994 Finance Act by the then Government following a comprehensive review of the matter by the Revenue Commissioners and the Department. The resulting new rules set out in the 1994 Finance Act both simplified and clarified the area and were generally welcomed. I have asked the chairman of the Revenue Commissioners to monitor the application of the...