Results 1,861-1,880 of 34,833 for speaker:Seán Fleming

Seanad: Investment Limited Partnerships (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Oct 2020)

Seán Fleming: Section 6 amends section 5(3) of the 1994 Act by changing "fair market value of the property" to "fair and appropriate value of the property" in order to track the language used in the EU directive on alternative investment fund management and its implementation. It also inserts the umbrella fund concept into the legislation, which is essentially one of the principal aspects of this Bill....

Seanad: Investment Limited Partnerships (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Oct 2020)

Seán Fleming: I have explained what is in section 6 and what is relevant to that section. I am confining my comments to the contents of the section in response to a request for information from Senator Gavan. I am dealing with the sections and the amendments as we go through the legislation which is the appropriate approach in this House. We are dealing with the amendments and sections in front of us...

Seanad: Investment Limited Partnerships (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Oct 2020)

Seán Fleming: I have answered the question thoroughly, although the Senator may not be satisfied with the answer. We are dealing with section 6 which deals with umbrella funds. I am dealing with the amendments to and sections of the legislation today and issues that are not part of those amendments or sections are outside the scope of this debate. I am sticking to the legislation that is before us today.

Seanad: Investment Limited Partnerships (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Oct 2020)

Seán Fleming: I acknowledge the Senator's contribution on the section. On the face of it, I understand why she would say everything she has just said, but there is more to it than that. As Senator Higgins has said, section 7 amends the 1994 Act to permit a limited partner to participate on boards and committees related to an investment limited partnership. This adds board participation to what might be...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revised Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Seán Fleming: I thank the Chairman. I am pleased to have the opportunity to appear before the Oireachtas Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach, in connection with the 2020 Estimates for the Department of Finance, Vote 7, and for the other Votes within the finance group: the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, Vote 8, the Office of the Revenue Commissioners,...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revised Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Seán Fleming: On Brexit, the 330 staff have been employed. Most of the recruitment commenced in 2019 so we are seeing the completion of the process in 2020. In terms of agents for the State in 2021, everybody will appreciate that because of the general election and the formation of the Government, we are very late in coming forward with the Estimates for the calendar year. In a week's time, we will...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revised Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Seán Fleming: Will the Deputy identify the page in order that we can both be on the same page?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revised Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Seán Fleming: Was the Supplementary Estimate the Deputy referred to the Supplementary Estimate for 2019?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revised Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Seán Fleming: That was a large Supplementary Estimate that was nearly as big as the entire Estimate for the Department. That supplementary allocation was required to cover the payment of €24 million in legal settlements in relation to the air travel tax litigation. It is the final settlement amount and is in accordance with the legal advice given by senior counsel and approved by the Office of the...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revised Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Seán Fleming: His question was more on policy than on the operation of the office. Policy is a matter that this committee will deal with and it is not an Estimates issue. I suggest that this committee can consider the role, brief and remit of the financial services ombudsman but all we are doing today is seeking to grant a request from the ombudsman for a certain amount of money for this year. There is...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revised Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Seán Fleming: I ask the Deputy to give me a moment while I go through my notes on that matter.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revised Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Seán Fleming: No.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revised Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Seán Fleming: They were allocated €18 million. Some €11 million of that was to cover the 330 staff, which was the full complement of staff required. Those staff have already been assigned, mainly to work in the ports and at a small number to information technology facilities. The other €7 million was for non-pay items, including refurbishments at Dublin Port and Rosslare Europort....

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revised Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Seán Fleming: It was spent on Dublin Airport, Dublin Port and Rosslare Europort, and a major new scanner which cost over €1 million and which is half funded by the European Anti-Fraud Office.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revised Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Seán Fleming: The scanner was €550,000, which is half of its overall cost, and the other costs were at the ports. I do not have a breakdown but if the Deputy wants-----

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revised Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Seán Fleming: Some of the work that was carried out on the ports by the OPW was funded on an agency basis through the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the HSE. It has not all come through this Vote. Some funding was provided through the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the HSE as well as the funding through this Department.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revised Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Seán Fleming: Also the part that came through this Department - the Department of Finance - and how much came through the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and through the HSE.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revised Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Seán Fleming: In relation to the staffing, I do not have the exact figure here but I looked at the notes this morning. Essentially, those who were recruited to Revenue over recent months were all immediately put to work on the contact tracing. They would number approximately 30. Rather than taking up work immediately in Revenue, because of the priority that was there, they went straight into the contact...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revised Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Seán Fleming: No. The 30 staff are for the contact tracing. Essentially, this time last year when the Estimate was published there was a significant provision in it to work on a new dividend withholding tax scheme because many dividends, especially in light of the financial services sector here, are paid to persons outside the State and we wanted to have a more modern method of accounting for the...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revised Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Seán Fleming: It was a cross-Department project.