Results 1,801-1,820 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Tailte Éireann Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Minister of State identified this section as relating to records. Records can be interpreted in a very narrow or wide way. Documents, maps and files are records, but the source documents which may have been involved in the creation of Ordnance Survey maps and materials input are also relevant. In many cases there is a huge historical archive in the process of mapmaking that OSI has...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare (Dogs) Bill 2022: Second Stage (14 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I want to begin by commending Senator Boylan on the Bill. It is well drafted and thought through. It shows the sign of somebody who has been passionate and thoughtfully engaged in issues of animal welfare throughout the time I have known her into Seanad and far beyond that. It is something that would make a significant difference. The Bill contains concrete and practical proposals. We...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 1: In page 66, between lines 8 and 9, to insert the following: “Report on wealth tax 25. The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on the potential revenue raised from, and distributional impact of, a wealth tax of 1 per cent on all households with assets of over 15 million...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I was not able to engage in the full Committee Stage debate, but this is one recommendation upon which I had a good exchange with the Minister. In light of that, I will not reiterate all of the arguments made previously. The concern I have is that we continue to look away from what is very much a pooling of wealth towards the top end of society. We know that Ireland has one of the highest...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: On the Minister's general point, he will be aware that we are not in a position to suggest concrete amendments to the Finance Bill because of the potential cost to the State. Therefore, when we make these recommendations, in many ways we are seeking to influence next year's budget. The budgetary process in Ireland tends to focus on the reveal of budget day and the pressures in advance but...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 2: In page 66, between lines 8 and 9, to insert the following: “Report on private pension tax reliefs 25.The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on private pension tax relief, specifically in relation to gender impacts.”.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We have had a lengthy discussion in respect of pension policy and private pension tax relief and whether it is an efficient use of the State's resources. It costs €2.9 billion a year when a universal pension would cost €3 billion. We had that discussion. While I may not agree with him, the Minister responded on a lot of the other aspects of the private pension tax relief....

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This matter will be discussed further. It will need more examination. With regard to the two reports the Minister mentioned, one of my concerns about the Commission on Pensions, which, sadly, undermined the effectiveness of the proposals, is that its remit explicitly excluded examining the private pension tax relief. That was particularly unfortunate because one of the tasks of the...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 3: In page 103, between lines 30 and 31, to insert the following: "Report on Deferred Tax Assets 44.The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on the potential for restricting banks from utilising the deferred tax assets scheme.".

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This is an issue I have raised in the past. I am merely raising it again. It is the issue of deferred tax assets. The Minister will be aware that Irish banks, for example, in 2017, one of the years for which I have figures, shaved €400 million from their tax bills by offsetting their losses from the financial crisis period against taxable profits. The shocking aspect of this is...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I do not accept that only those who are paid more than €500,000 can, for example, complete regulatory compliance. If that is the case, we have a much larger problem.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The example given was about wanting to ensure regulatory compliance and so forth. It is good the Minister has clarified that is not the case. There are people who are able to fulfil these functions. The competitive market that was mentioned, involving other banks that do not employ many people in the State but are somehow based here, may relate to a different discussion we need to have in...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Minister for those clarifications. I will press the recommendations.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 4: In page 103, between lines 30 and 31, to insert the following: "Report on Deferred Tax Assets 44.The Minister shall, within 12 months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas outlining the potential for removing the qualification to utilise deferred tax assets from any bank which seeks to act on a removal of restrictions...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 5: In page 108, between lines 29 and 30, to insert the following: "Report on Kerosene Subsidies 52.The Minister shall within 6 months of the passing of this Act publish a report outlining the amount of fossil fuel subsidies provided by the State, through tax relief or revenue forgone, in respect of jet kerosene."

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Government provided nearly €2.4 million in subsidies to the fossil fuel industry in 2019, which is more than 70% higher than the subsidies given in 2000. The allocation has been growing substantially. I focus in this recommendation on one aspect of fossil fuel subsidies, namely, the excise duty exemption for jet kerosene used in both domestic and international commercial...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is important that the issue be examined in the round, not solely from the business perspective but also from the perspective of our carbon budget targets, which are one part of it, and also the State's general international obligations.There is the additional tax argument but also the idea of the tax exemption by which we are effectively subsidising something. There are strong arguments...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I second Senator Sherlock's recommendation and also have a number of recommendations of my own in this group. When a new scheme is brought in, it is important that it is targeted as effectively as possible. Any new scheme comes with significant cost. Being responsible means that we target it as effectively as possible. I am concerned by those who are included and those who are excluded in...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 7: In page 242, between lines 36 and 37, to insert the following: "Reports 103.Within three months of the passing of this Act, the Minister shall lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas on the potential savings and benefits from excluding data centres from eligibility for the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme.".