Results 18,801-18,820 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Benchmarking Awards. (3 Mar 2005)

Brian Cowen: To answer that specific supplementary question, as stated in the national pay agreement, the parties considered in its request that the body should seek to ensure the optimum level of transparency consistent with the efficient and effective operations of the benchmarking process. How this is reflected in the report is a matter for the benchmarking body as it is independent. In the last...

Benchmarking Awards. (3 Mar 2005)

Brian Cowen: I disagree.

Pension Provisions. (3 Mar 2005)

Brian Cowen: The latest figures published in the 2003 annual report of the Revenue Commissioners indicate that in the short tax year, April to December 2001, the cost of tax relief on pension contributions was tentatively estimated at approximately €2 billion. It is not possible at present to examine the take up of the tax relief for all pension contributions across different income categories. This is...

Pension Provisions. (3 Mar 2005)

Brian Cowen: Tax relief for pension contributions is not unlimited. Relief on contributions to personal pensions and PRSAs is limited to a certain percentage of remuneration which rises with age, 15% to 30% for age 50 years and above. The employer contribution to PRSAs is aggregated with the employee contribution for the purposes of tax relief limits. With regard to occupational pensions, where relief for...

Pension Provisions. (3 Mar 2005)

Brian Cowen: The Pensions Board is due to report in mid-year on pensions coverage. That is not a long-term review.

Pension Provisions. (3 Mar 2005)

Brian Cowen: Obviously, I must wait to see what is in the report. If the Deputy knows what is in the report already, he has an advantage. The Pensions Board, which has a statutory remit in this area, is addressing this issue. It will come forward with ideas and recommendations as a result of the work it is doing. With regard to what will happen with the SSIA scheme, we are monitoring that situation. I do...

Financial Services Regulation. (3 Mar 2005)

Brian Cowen: All financial service providers that provide loans secured on a person's principal private residence are subject to the provisions of Part IX of the Consumer Credit Act. This is as a result of an amendment to the Act made last year, following consideration of a recommendation in the 1999 McDowell report. The Consumer Credit Act is the principal source of protection to personal borrowers. The...

Financial Services Regulation. (3 Mar 2005)

Brian Cowen: The specific information the Deputy seeks on the amount that can be borrowed and the numbers of institutions involved is not immediately available to me but I will make it available to her. With regard to the point on companies linked to money laundering and the allegations in regard to IRA criminal activity, the main purpose of the financial regulator's supervision of financial services...

Financial Services Regulation. (3 Mar 2005)

Brian Cowen: The question arises whether we should apply it to those bodies which do not take money deposits as part of their operations. As I stated, the Financial Services Ombudsman Council may well be the best avenue in this regard. We will consider the matter in that context.

PEACE II Programme. (3 Mar 2005)

Brian Cowen: The Government is aware of the valuable role the PEACE II programme has played in building peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border region and that there continues to be a need for such funding. Therefore, I am glad to report that we have recently secured an extension of the PEACE programme to 2006. The extension has been adopted on foot of the conclusions of the Heads of...

PEACE II Programme. (3 Mar 2005)

Brian Cowen: An extension to the end of 2006 will bring the programme in line with other Structural Funds programmes. Therefore, a new PEACE III programme could not be sought until then. Both Governments wanted to ensure that a gap period did not occur and, therefore, an extension rather than a new programme was sought at that stage. The question of whether there will be a PEACE III programme will be...

PEACE II Programme. (3 Mar 2005)

Brian Cowen: The extension proposal contains European agricultural guidelines as regards the fund and financial instruments for fisheries guidance funding, increased funding for and focus on reconciliation, more capacity building for groups such as ethnic minorities and Protestant working class communities, continued focus on economic and social projects, specific tourism measures and a continued focus on...

Tax Code. (3 Mar 2005)

Brian Cowen: I assume what the Deputy mainly has in mind is support through the tax system for child care. The Government's policy is that child benefit is the main instrument through which support is provided for parents with children. One of the main advantages of this approach is that whereas tax relief would be of little or no benefit to those with low incomes, the provision of support for parents...

Order of Business. (3 Mar 2005)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy should run up the Jolly Roger.

Order of Business. (3 Mar 2005)

Brian Cowen: Tá siad dá-theangach.

Order of Business. (3 Mar 2005)

Brian Cowen: I could tell Members about their expenses.

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (2 Mar 2005)

Brian Cowen: There are currently nine EU directives for which my Department has responsibility which have yet to be implemented. The deadline has passed in the case of five of these. However, one of the five directives was transposed through a number of sections in Part 3 of the Finance Act 2004 ahead of the transposition deadline of 1 January 2005 but the European Commission is still treating it as being...

Written Answers — Banking Sector Regulation: Banking Sector Regulation (2 Mar 2005)

Brian Cowen: I assume that the Deputy is referring to non-deposit-taking financial service providers who offer loans secured on property to persons who are perceived as poor credit risks and are thus unable to secure credit from mainstream lenders. The Consumer Credit Act is the principal source of protection to personal borrowers. All financial service providers that provide loans secured on a person's...

Written Answers — Asylum Support Services: Asylum Support Services (1 Mar 2005)

Brian Cowen: Due to the level of demand for asylum seeker accommodation at the time, Broc House was required at very short notice on the instructions of the reception and integration agency which operates under the aegis of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. It was inspected prior to purchase by an architect and engineer who confirmed that the building was of sound structure and was...

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

Brian Cowen: The interdepartmental review group examined all aspects of the scheme including the qualifying medical criteria, the benefits and the appeals process. The report of the group was published on my Department's website in July 2004 and copies have been placed in the Oireachtas library. Following on from the report's recommendations concerning the appeals process, amendments to the regulations...