Results 17,921-17,940 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Written Answers — House Prices: House Prices (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: As the Deputy will be aware, the 2005 budget introduced a stamp duty relieving measure for first-time house purchasers who are owner-occupiers of second hand houses by increasing the stamp duty exemption threshold for such purchasers from €190,500 to €317,500 and by having reduced rates of stamp duty for house values up to €635,000. This relieving measure will further assist...

Written Answers — Expenditure Review Initiative: Expenditure Review Initiative (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: It is my intention to have a new round of expenditure reviews for the period 2005-07. To that end, my Department wrote to all Departments and offices in early March 2005 requesting them to propose new topics for the 2005-07 round of reviews taking into account the recommendations set out in the recent report of the expenditure review central steering committee, ERCSC, to the Minister for...

Written Answers — Special Savings Incentive Scheme: Special Savings Incentive Scheme (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: The matter is subject to ongoing consideration within my Department. The impact of maturing SSIA funds on consumer demand in 2006 and 2007 is difficult to estimate and will depend on how the accumulated savings are spent or saved, how that portion of an individual's income that was previously saved in SSIAs is used, and the extent to which savings are rolled over into other investment...

Written Answers — Criminal Prosecutions: Criminal Prosecutions (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the following information provides the up to date position on court prosecutions initiated for tax evasion. In 1997, there was one prosecution initiated for tax evasion. A fine of €635 was imposed with no custodial sentence. In 1998, there were six cases initiated and six convictions secured and fines totalling €42,854 were imposed. There...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: At present tax relief at source arrangements exist for medical insurance premia and mortgage interest relief. The arrangements were put in place in the Finance Act 2001 to ease the administrative burden for claimants and for the Revenue Commissioners. In view of their success, the Revenue Commissioners are considering whether there are other sectors in which this arrangement could effectively...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: As the Deputy will be aware, I announced in my Budget Statement that I have directed my Department, together with the Revenue Commissioners, to undertake a detailed review of various tax reliefs and exemptions. I subsequently announced that the review would also include the examination of pensions tax relief. This examination is at present under way and its findings will be taken into account...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the report mentioned was an internal report of an organisation review group which led in to the restructuring of the Office of the Revenue Commissioners. The comment in the report in relation to the possibility that people claiming to be non-resident in Ireland might in reality be living here was intended to outline the group's perception of a...

Written Answers — Disabled Drivers: Disabled Drivers (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: A special interdepartmental review group has already 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 both on an administrative and user level and to consider the feasibility of alternative schemes, with a...

Written Answers — Rebate Abolition: Rebate Abolition (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: The European Commission published an own resources report in July 2004 which concerned the financing of the budget of the European Union. One of the principal proposals in the report was the abolition of the rebate for the United Kingdom. The Commission also proposed that transitional and decreasing payments be made to the UK from 2008 to 2011 to cushion the impact of the rebate's abolition....

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: Restoring and enhancing national competitiveness is a key priority for this Government. The Government is keenly aware of the importance of Ireland's exporting sectors to investment and jobs and in turn of the importance of competitiveness for these sectors. However, it must be remembered that we cannot control some variables which affect our competitive position, such as our exchange rate....

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: The decentralisation implementation group was appointed to drive forward the overall implementation of the decentralisation programme. The two reports of the implementation group dated 31 March 2004 and 30 July 2004 provided detailed accounts of the progress made in implementing the programme. In addition, the implementation group prepared two further reports in November 2004 which were...

Written Answers — Revenue Investigations: Revenue Investigations (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that arising from the clerical medical insurance-NIB inquiry, 466 cases have been targeted for investigation. To date, 298 cases have been settled on payment of tax, interest and penalties amounting to a total of €49.71 million. A further 117 cases have been finalised with no additional liability arising. The remaining 51 cases are the subject of...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: I understand it was reported that EU Tax Commissioner, Mr. Lazlo Kovacs, made comments at a tax seminar in Stockholm recently anticipating that work on an EU common consolidated corporate tax base could be completed within three years. A technical working group chaired by the Commission is currently considering the issues and has a three year work plan. Ireland, along with all other member...

Written Answers — Non-Resident Accounts: Non-Resident Accounts (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: Authorised Revenue officers are empowered to make an application to a judge of the High Court seeking an order requiring financial institutions to supply names, addresses and other relevant information concerning account holders who may have held bogus non-resident deposit accounts. Such applications are made under section 908 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, as amended by the Finance Act...

Written Answers — Revenue Investigations: Revenue Investigations (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that they are conducting their investigation into tax liabilities which relate to undisclosed funds invested in life assurance investment products in two stages. In the first stage of these inquiries taxpayers, who invested undisclosed and undeclared funds in life assurance products were given until 23 May 2005 to give notice to Revenue of their...

Written Answers — Legislative Review: Legislative Review (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 81 and 91 together. The rules on residency are not a tax relief scheme as such and are therefore not included in the review of tax relief schemes that I announced in the 2005 budget. However, as already outlined to the House, I have asked the chairman of the Revenue Commissioners to monitor the application of the current non-resident rules, through examination...

Written Answers — Project Evaluation: Project Evaluation (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: Primary responsibility for the evaluation, planning and execution of capital projects should rest with Ministers, line Departments and their implementing agencies. My Department has a strong concern to promote the pursuit of optimal value for money by Departments and implementing agencies from public capital investment. It has been doing this through the framework of the five year rolling...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: The Government programme, An Agreed Programme for Government, states that "over the next five years our priorities...will be...to ensure that 80% of all earners pay tax only at the standard rate.". The five year period mentioned commenced three years ago when the Government was elected to office. I should also point out, however, that the commitment is given in the context of a broader...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: I do not have specific information on the case of the person referred to and I would point out that ministerial responsibility for pension matters in RTE rests with my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. I am, however, happy to deal with the general issue raised in the question. As the Deputy is aware, the Commission on Public Service Pensions recommended...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (1 Jun 2005)

Brian Cowen: There are particular issues that arise in dealing with specialist civil servants. The correct approach is to tease out the issues and develop good long-term solutions in consultation with all of the parties involved. This is the approach being adopted by the decentralisation implementation group. I am confident that the programme will proceed and will be successfully completed in due course.