Results 17,501-17,520 of 32,864 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Employment Investment Incentive Scheme (13 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that the company referred to applied for outline approval on 18 August 2017, which was approved on 4 December 2017. An EII1 Application was then received from the company on the 11 May 2018. Additional information and clarifications were sought from the company from 1 August to 22 October. The company received an answer from Revenue on 9 November. The Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Data (13 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 181 and 182 together. I am informed by Revenue that the net Corporation Tax receipts from the mining and utilities sector overall for the calendar year 2017 was in the region of €45.03 million. Receipts for earlier years are available at: . Due to Revenue’s obligation to protect the confidentiality of taxpayer information, it is not possible to...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Agreements (13 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy will be aware that the Commission proposal for an interim Digital Service Tax, which imposes a 3% levy on the turnover of certain companies’ digital activities, is currently being debated among Member States – both at a technical and political level. Most recently, digital tax was on the agenda at ECOFIN on 6 November where I reiterated Ireland’s...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Staff Data (13 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to inform the Deputy that the senior management team of my Department consists of the grades Secretary General, Assistant Secretary, Director, Principal, Assistant Principal and Special Adviser. The table below outlines the gender breakdown for each grade as at 8th November 2018. Grade Male Female Secretary General 1 0 Assistant Secretary 6 0 Director 1 0 Principal 18 9 Special...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Industry Regulation (13 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: At the outset, it is important to note that as Minister for Finance, I am responsible for the development of the legal framework governing financial regulation. Neither I nor the Central Bank of Ireland can interfere in the provision or pricing of insurance products, as these matters are of a commercial nature, and are determined by insurance companies based on an assessment of the risks...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme (13 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I am informed by Revenue that Statutory Instrument No. 353 of 1994, Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations 1994, which provides for reliefs for disabled drivers, disabled passengers and organisations, was considerably revised by Statutory Instrument No. 634 of 2015 taking effect from 1 January 2016. A part of this wide-ranging revision was to...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Local Authority Functions (13 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: In Budget 2019 I provided for an increase in VAT on hotel accommodation as part of the reversion from 9% to 13.5% for tourism related activities. I have no plans to implement further changes to this sector at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Fiscal Data (13 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: As I have outlined previously, ‘fiscal space’ is no longer a useful concept. Government budgetary policy is instead guided by the appropriate fiscal stance - the position that is right for the economy at this point in time and ensures steady, sustainable improvements in public services and living standards. The table below details the forecasts for inflation (both the headline...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Gambling Sector (13 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: As announced in the Budget I have increased the rate of betting duty from 1 per cent to 2 per cent for all bookmakers and the rate of betting intermediary duty from 15% to 25% on the commission earned for betting intermediaries. These measures will take effect from 1 January 2019. The rate of betting duty at 1% on the amount of bets wagered in Ireland is at an all-time low, and betting...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Prevention Measures (13 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The following is the current position on the flood defence schemes that have commenced construction since June 2016. Construction of major flood relief projects has commenced in 12 locations across seven counties since June 2016. The implementation of the many smaller projects funded under the OPW Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme is the responsibility of individual...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Commission for Public Service Appointments (13 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, the Commission for Public Service Appointments is the regulatory body for recruitment and selection in the civil and public service. It is responsible for ensuring that appointments to publicly funded positions, that fall within its remit, are done so fairly, transparently and on the basis of merit. Appointments that fall within the remit of the Commission are...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Meetings (13 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I can inform the Deputy that it would be normal practice for a Department official to accompany the Minister and or Minister of State at meetings with business and other leaders. My Department's Records Management Guidelines set out the arrangements for filing records of meetings in my Department. These inform efficient record keeping, which supports the Department’s business...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Measures (13 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: In recognition of the fact that there would be a delay between the Government Decision to amend the mandatory retirement age for public servants and the enactment of the legislation to effect the statutory changes to give effect to that policy decision, I introduced temporary arrangements for those facing mandatory retirement in the interim. These arrangements enable public servants who...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Pay Commission Reports (13 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The Public Service Pay Commission is an independent body which published its first report in May 2017, to provide inputs on how the unwinding of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest legislation 2009-2015 should proceed. As noted in the report, the source for the data used in Table 5.3 of the Public Service Pay Commission’s May 2017 report is Eurostat’s...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (13 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, I deal with staff in the civil service. Other Ministers are responsible for staff in the wider public service. The Government decided in December 2017 that the retirement age of civil servants would be extended to 70 years of age and that between the date of the Government decision and the enactment of the legislation, civil servants with a retirement age of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (13 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Under civil service pension schemes, the pension calculation is, in general, based on pensionable remuneration and total pensionable service of the employee. The focus on service is a fundamental element of defined benefit occupational pension schemes, not just in the civil and public service but in the private sector too, and there are no plans at present to change this. There are...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Data (13 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The tables below provide a gender breakdown of the number of senior positions in my Department and the Office of Government Procurement. Public Expenditure and Reform Headcount & Gender Grade Female Male Secretary General 0 1 Assistant Secretary Level 3 5 Principal Officer 17 18 Assistant Principal 54 66 Chief Medical Officer 0 1 Occupational Health Nurse 2 0 Occupational...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Reform Implementation (13 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Since the first public service reform plan was published in 2011, a comprehensive programme of reform has been implemented and public sector reform continues to be a key priority for the Government. The latest framework for reform and innovation in the public service, OurPublic Service 2020 (OPS 2020)–which I launched last December, is a whole-of-public-service initiative designed to...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: In fairness, I should acknowledge that this is a matter that Deputy McGrath has raised with me and I note that he has just joined us now. I am sure he will be raising this on Report Stage as well as he has related amendments. I will say a word about the section and my approach to it. On the section itself, a partial repayment of VRT has been available since 1993 on certain vehicles...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputies for their contributions. It is fair to acknowledge that this change was not subject to consultation. However, we have so many examples of reliefs like this across the tax code that we have to recognise the right of the Government of the day to make changes. If we are to be guided by consultation in every difficult change we make, the bias will always be towards not...