Results 18,541-18,560 of 32,864 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion (11 Jul 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I have tried to respond to what he has asked me to do. I am aware of the challenges we face. Like the Deputy, I know the figures. I have moved as quickly as I can to try to accede to the requests that have been put to me. On the question of what we are doing to support carers, from a social welfare point of view there are a significant number of programmes in place to support citizens...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion (11 Jul 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy and will deal with the various points he has raised. I do not have available to me from the Revenue Commissioners an estimate of the amount of tax revenue that is leaking out of our country. One has not been shared with me over the past year. The only point on which I would caution is there might be different things at play here. The loss of tax revenue due to illegal...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion (11 Jul 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The end of July.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion (11 Jul 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I accept I am in a privileged position in terms of the office I hold. I am constantly aware of the solemn responsibility I have in discharging it. As to what I said about health, I never said that health did not need more money. While answering the questions Deputy Bailey put to me, I acknowledged the Department of Health will need more money next year, and I outlined some of the reasons....

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion (11 Jul 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I do not anticipate any housing being built soon that is surplus to requirements given the current level of demand. Second, on my views on the building-----

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion (11 Jul 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I do not believe any homes will be built in the near term that will be surplus to requirements.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion (11 Jul 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I believe any homes that are built will be purchased but that opens up another question regarding mix and the delivery of homes, to which I will now turn. I want to see a better mix of homes being delivered. I am working with the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, on a further contribution the State can make in that regard. We cannot end up in a...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion (11 Jul 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: We need to look at what further interventions the State can make in this area, which is what I am doing. I have no plans to put in place additional tax reliefs for the construction sector which would lead to outcomes I could then not control. I will not be doing so. On the mix of expenditure, we are ramping up expenditure on social housing at a quick pace. I know that the Deputy would...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion (11 Jul 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: It does not happen in the run-up to budgetary decisions, but it does happen on budgetary policy. For example, in the aftermath of the budget I said I would not implement the sugar tax if we were disadvantaged. We had a lot of contact with the authorities in Northern Ireland to ensure that in introducing the tax, we would not disadvantage Irish businesses and consumers. On whether there is...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion (11 Jul 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I will not be before the committee again this term. In saying that I hope I will not regret it tomorrow. I thank all members of the committee for their huge input into its work. While we do differ vigorously at times, I have never doubt the input of members and take the opportunity to acknowledge it. They might remember these words if the committee considers bringing me before it again...

Other Questions: European Semester Process (11 Jul 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: On long-term arrears, many of our banks have engaged in a process of reducing the value of mortgage debt. To answer Deputy Pearse Doherty's question, I will meet the CEOs of all the banks before the end of July in the context of setting up the banking standards board for Ireland.

Other Questions: European Semester Process (11 Jul 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 70 and 81 together. The European Commission published the 2018 country-specific recommendations, CSRs, on 23 May 2018 as part of the European semester process. Similar to last year, Ireland received three recommendations. The first deals with the effectiveness of public finances and expenditure, the reduction of Government debt and broadening the tax...

Other Questions: European Semester Process (11 Jul 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I understand the plan contains a ten-year plan regarding higher capital investment in climate change, plans to modernise our supply of energy and deliver against a climate agenda about which the Deputy has spoken. It is fair to say that meeting the objectives we have will be very challenging but in terms of what we are doing about it, I have supported the Minister, Deputy Naughten, in...

Other Questions: European Semester Process (11 Jul 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I did not answer the question about the purchase of carbon credits but will do so now, so Deputy Barry should not assume an answer I have not yet given. I have not yet made any decisions about the purchase of carbon credits. This is something I will have to do with the Minister, Deputy Denis Naughten, in the context of the coming budget. On the Deputy's point on the affordability of...

Other Questions: Employment Investment Incentive Scheme (11 Jul 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I take the points made by the Deputies. I outlined the changes that have been made to the scheme since March in terms of the new form, the screening, the new telephone line and also the introduction of a case tracking process. We will have the work completed on the review of the scheme in advance of the finance Bill and I will take on board the concerns of the Deputies as I do that work.

Other Questions: Corporation Tax Regime (11 Jul 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes I am. We understand the reasons why there has been a further change in corporate tax receipts for this year and we are increasingly clear on what our likely end point will be for 2018. We need to take care, however, in assuming that will continue into 2019, 2020 and beyond. We have seen very significant shifts in corporate tax receipts over the past number of years and I will not be...

Other Questions: Employment Investment Incentive Scheme (11 Jul 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The employment and investment incentive, provided for in Part 16 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, is an incentive whereby individuals who invest in certain companies obtain income tax relief on the amount invested. A number of conditions must be complied with. First, relief can only he granted to investors after ordinary shares have issued. Second, companies in which the investment can...

Other Questions: Employment Investment Incentive Scheme (11 Jul 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I accept the Deputy's points. My objective is to have all of that work complete well in advance of the budget and to look at any points that need to be considered. As I am sure the Deputy is aware, we have made a number of changes at an operational level to deal with issues that have been raised on the operation of the scheme. We have brought in a new form because the original form was too...

Other Questions: EU Budget Contribution (11 Jul 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: A huge amount of work is being done in this regard. On the Deputy's question on my view of what the future level of contribution should be, if I was to say that here today, I would probably be the first Minister involved in these negotiations to outline a figure in regard to our potential contribution in the future. We are at the very early stage of these negotiations. At this point in...

Other Questions: EU Budget Contribution (11 Jul 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: To respond to the middle part of the Deputy's question, it is precisely because it refers to concerns we have about the funding of CAP, and the desire we have to protect, for example, funding of ERASMUS and research and development, that I am being careful in regard to putting a figure on a future Irish contribution. We are not engaged in a dialogue in this regard; this is a negotiation, as...