Results 16,801-16,820 of 32,602 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Industry (11 Dec 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 141 to 144, inclusive, together. The Central Bank of Ireland has advised me that it was notified by the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority on 7 March 2018 that it had ordered Alpha Insurance A/S to cease writing new business including renewal of existing contracts and business with immediate effect. It was further notified on 9 May 2018 that the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Avoidance (11 Dec 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Arising from information brought to my attention by Revenue concerning avoidance schemes, a number of amendments to the tax code were made in the Finance Act 2017. One of the amendments to which the Deputy refers was an amendment to section 135 TCA. This amendment nullified a cash extraction scheme whereby shareholders extracted distributable reserves from their corporate entities but avoided...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Brexit Issues (11 Dec 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, the negotiations on both the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement and political declaration on the framework for the EU-UK future relationship, both of which we were endorsed by the European Council on 25 November, were conducted on behalf of the EU27 by the EU's Chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, and the Commission's Article 50 Taskforce.  Brexit is a priority...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Home Renovation Incentive Scheme (11 Dec 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The Home Renovation Incentive (HRI) is provided for in section 477B of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997.  As the Deputy will be aware, the HRI provides a tax relief by way of an income tax credit in respect of expenditure on qualifying work. Qualifying work is any repair, renovation or improvement works carried out on principal private residences or rental properties by tax compliant...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Credits (11 Dec 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that there was a short delay in issuing employee Tax Credit Certificates (TCCs) to the business in question but this was not connected to the changes arising from PAYE Modernisation. Revenue has also confirmed that of the eleven TCCs requested by the company, seven have already issued and a further three will issue in the coming days. Additional information is...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Rebates (11 Dec 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that it has already contacted the persons in question and advised them of the steps required (by them) to advance their claims for a tax rebate on eligible medical expenditure. The official also advised the persons on how to register for Revenue’s on-line services, including MyAccount (for PAYE taxpayers) and ROS (for self-assessed taxpayers), which are the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: NAMA Legal Cases (11 Dec 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy will be aware that Section 172(3) of the NAMA Act 2009 is a legal provision preventing any interest in property held as security for loans acquired by NAMA from being sold back to defaulting debtors, or persons acting on behalf of defaulting debtors. In order to ensure compliance with Section 172(3), I am advised that NAMA has a policy of obtaining written confirmation from...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Staff Data (11 Dec 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 152 to 154, inclusive, together. I wish to inform the Deputy that the number of women and men employed in the Department of Finance, the various grades in which they are employed and the ratio of males to females employed in the Department, is outlined in the following table. Grade Male % Female % Total Secretary General 1 100% 1 Assistant Secretary 6...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Company Liquidations (11 Dec 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 155 to 157, inclusive, together. On 28 November, the Central Bank announced that it had been informed that Qudos Insurance A/S had entered into solvent liquidation. Qudos is authorised and regulated by the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority, and therefore the Central Bank had no role in this decision. It is understood that Qudos operated in Ireland on...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Appointments to State Boards (11 Dec 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Of the seventeen bodies under the aegis of my Department, seven are State Boards and, as such, are subject to the guidelines on appointments to State Boards. These are Central Bank, the Credit Union Restructuring Board, the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman, the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, the National Asset Management Agency, the National Treasury Management Agency and the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Communications (11 Dec 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: One of the twelve Guiding Principles of Quality Customer Service in the Civil Service is that Departments and Offices "take a proactive approach in providing information that is clear, timely and accurate" and "continue the drive for simplification of rules, regulations, forms, information leaflets and procedures." The use of plain language facilitates more effective communication with...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Prevention Measures (11 Dec 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 160 and 164 together. Following approval by Government of the Report of the Flood Policy Review Group in September 2004, the Office of Public Works (OPW) commenced a project to collate from various sources, process and publish available information on past floods in Ireland. The data collated were published on the website www.floodmaps.ie in October 2006....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Monuments (11 Dec 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Please see the table, which summarises the position at Loughcrew for each of the years requested. Since 2017, the Office of Public Works has installed a footfall counter which measures the number of visitors at the site in general. Separately, the number of visitors who have specifically requested a key to visit the interior of the Monument itself is also recorded. It can be assumed...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Garda Station Refurbishment (11 Dec 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Following resolution of the encroachment issues at this property, the Office of Public Works continues to review all options to provide the best possible solution for An Garda Síochána’s operational and policing needs. Maintenance of the existing Garda Station premises continues with painting works recently completed.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Coastal Erosion (11 Dec 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by my Department that it is a matter for Local Authorities, in the first instance, to assess and address problems of coastal erosion in their areas. Where necessary, Local Authorities may put forward proposals to relevant central Government Departments, including the OPW, for funding of appropriate measures depending on the infrastructure or assets under threat. In this...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Monuments (11 Dec 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The Office of Public Works will submit a standard planning application to Dublin City Council subject to the receipt of consent from the Minister of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, to proceed with the proposed development at the Casino at Marino, a designated National Monument. The timescale for the planning application is subject to discussions between the OPW and Dublin City...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Brexit Issues (11 Dec 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: In the wake of the UK referendum on EU membership, Government Ministers have taken every opportunity to engage with the Article 50 Task Force, our EU partners and the UK to advance Ireland’s Brexit priorities. As Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform I have responsibility for the three EU-funded cross-border programmes in which Ireland and the UK are partners, namely the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Regulations (11 Dec 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Public procurement represents an important market for Irish businesses. Significant work has been undertaken by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) to ensure that public procurement is accessible to all businesses, including SMEs. Specific measures to support SME participation include dividing larger tendering competitions into lots and setting proportionate eligibility requirements,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Data (11 Dec 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 168 to 170, inclusive, together. The following tables set out details of the various grades at which staff are employed in my Department and the bodies under its aegis. These tables provide a breakdown of the numbers of males and females employed at each grade together with the approximate ratio of males to females which have also been expressed as...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Government Expenditure (11 Dec 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The demographic projections used to inform medium-term expenditure planning in the context of Budget 2019 are broadly based on the figures set out in the IGEES paper ‘Budgetary Impact of Changing Demographics 2017 – 2027.’ This paper sets out the likely additional costs over the next decade relating to increased demands in the areas of health, education and social...