Results 1,741-1,760 of 11,861 for speaker:Brian Hayes

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Brian Hayes: I thank Senator Barrett. It is widely accepted that community rating, which is the cornerstone of private health insurance in Ireland, cannot survive without risk equalisation. This was the justification for the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, introducing on a permanent basis the risk equalisation scheme for the Irish market late last year. The Health Insurance (Amendment) Act ensures...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Brian Hayes: It is worth putting a number of facts on the record in connection with section 61, which I understand Senators are opposing. From 1 May 2013, an increase in price of ¤1.20 is proposed in the case of a 40kg bag of coal and 26 cent in the case of a bale of peat briquettes, based on current prices. This represents, in the case of coal, an 8% increase and in the case of briquettes, a 6.7%...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Brian Hayes: Yes, there is an EU-wide agreement for an exemption. Our diplomats are exempt abroad too.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Brian Hayes: It is worth saying that the Minister has already introduced changes for vehicle registration for 2013. I was in this House responding to a Fianna Fáil Senator on the issue of reclassification for cars registered in 2013. Concern was expressed about the number 13 and some people's belief that it would be the year of Armageddon and so forth.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Brian Hayes: The Minister for Finance responded to the industry's concerns and to calls in this House for a change. It is worth saying that issues discussed on the Adjournment are picked up on and ideas, such as the 2013 -1 and 2013 - 2 classification, can be transposed into legislation. I just wanted to put that on the record. Section 63, in addition to providing for necessary amendments to vehicle...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Brian Hayes: With regard to the remarks made by Senator MacSharry, the Minister has spoken about this publicly and would like to find a solution to the issue. He makes a compelling case with regard to what would happen if we were not able to obtain funds in this area which could be used for the purpose of running the type of campaign he would like to run. The legal advice is that the lid-on argument or...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Brian Hayes: Exactly. This is the historic argument. Recently I visited Midleton and I noted that the sale of Irish whiskey, in the context of the export market, is up by 30% in a year. A new vat has been ordered in Midleton and there is to be more production in other parts of the country. A whole cottage industry has been established around Irish whiskey and the branding of it. This brings us back...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Brian Hayes: Our estimate is that the cost in a half year would be ¤35 million and ¤70 million in a full year. While these figures may not seem large in the context of a budget of billions of euro, they are certainly large in the context of the calculations on which we base the budget. We have closely examined this issue and EU regulations are key it. We cannot do something that is so left field that...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Brian Hayes: Tax goes into the large hole that tax goes into

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Brian Hayes: We pay for nurses and teachers, etc., from the tax we receive.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Brian Hayes: I should say, wearing my Department of Finance hat, that I am not generally in favour of ring-fencing. Given that we have a monthly deficit of ¤1 billion, we have to keep all our options open. The key argument in favour of this decision, as made by Senator Gilroy, is that it meets two objectives at once. Senator Ó Clochartaigh asked whether we should not tax these companies. Perhaps...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Brian Hayes: All of these matters are kept under constant review.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Brian Hayes: I thank the Senator for his remarks. A "qualifying transport operator" for the purposes of the repayment scheme is defined in the proposed new section 99A(1) by reference to the provisions of national and EU law under which transport operators are required to be licensed. Recommendation No. 29 proposes the extension of the relief to "own account" operators. In introducing this rebate of...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Brian Hayes: Are we discussing section 49?

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Brian Hayes: First, will the Chair confirm that section 48 was agreed?

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Brian Hayes: This section deals with the age old issue of excise on cigarettes. When the Minister for Finance makes this proposals on budget day I often wonder whether he is doing so for the purpose of raising money or improving the health outcomes for people in the country. There is a symbiotic relationship between the two. Section 49 increases the rates of tobacco product tax, which when VAT is...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Brian Hayes: It was the last year before the collapse in 2007, which was the high point in terms of yield. I will see if we can get more precise information. GDP fell off a cliff by 12.5%. I might put my speaking note on section 47 on the record to make sure all my ducks are in a line. This section amends section 599 of the Taxes (Consolidation) Act 1997, which deals with CGT retirement relief on the...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Brian Hayes: The wider context is that we are encouraging those of an age who want to transfer their business to a younger member of the family to do so in a way that encourages additional economic activity. I heard the Senator's remarks that this could inflate land prices but all of the evidence suggests that land prices are on the way up not as a result of this, but because the agrifood area has seen...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Brian Hayes: This is a means of encouraging the transfer of productive land to a younger generation. It is not a question of hating the younger generation; on the contrary, it is a question of cherishing the younger generation by moving assets along. Land can often be difficult to move along and there is no reason to believe doing this will infuse a new opportunity that currently exists in the agrifood...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Brian Hayes: I suspect it is economic activity. I do not have access to the figures but we can obtain them.