Results 141-160 of 406 for speaker:Charlie McCreevy
- Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: As the Deputy will be aware, and following on my Budget Statement regarding carbon energy taxation in December 2002, I published a carbon energy tax consultation paper, prepared by my Department, on 31 July of last year. This consultation paper was designed to facilitate discussions on the introduction and design of the carbon energy tax while recognising that there are divergent views on the...
- Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the timescale for the decentralisation of 50 staff to Listowel is dependent on the availability of suitable accommodation in the location and the completion of the decentralisation implementation committee's implementation plan. A site has not yet been identified in Listowel. The Office of Public Works is undertaking an initial assessment of...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: In the period since I took office as Minister for Finance, there have been no appointments as permanent and pensionable civil servants in my Department of people who were political advisers prior to appointment.
- Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that this investigation is still ongoing and that substantial progress has been made. Arising from a voluntary disclosure programme, 254 individuals came forward and made voluntary disclosures. To date in excess of â¬102 million has been received by the Commissioners. Revenue now intend to pursue vigorously those individuals who failed to come...
- Written Answers — Benchmarking Awards: Benchmarking Awards (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: Those prison officer grades which are represented by the Prison Officers' Association are the only Civil Service grades for which increases recommended by the public service benchmarking body have not been approved. The body recommended a total increase of 4% for these grades and one quarter of that increase has been paid with effect from 1 December 2001 in accordance with the agreed...
- Written Answers — Offshore Accounts: Offshore Accounts (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: There is no prohibition in law on Irish people holding offshore deposit accounts. Irish resident taxpayers who hold offshore deposit accounts must fully declare all their income and profits, including amounts placed in such accounts, for tax purposes.
- Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: As the Deputy is aware, I have appointed an implementation committee to prepare and submit an overall implementation plan on decentralisation by the end of March 2004. It was decided not to conduct a survey of the staff of the Department in regard to decentralisation as, until the implementation plan is completed, they will not have the information they need to assist them in making an...
- Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that arising from the clerical medical insurance-NIB inquiry, 452 cases have been targeted for investigation. To date, Revenue has collected â¬48.91 million in tax, interest and penalties as a result of the investigations. This is made up of â¬44.13 million paid in relation to 285 settled cases and â¬4.78 million in respect of payments on account,...
- Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: The main criteria used to select Departments and agencies for decentralisation are set out at page B25 of the budget for 2004. It was decided not to transfer any staff from the Department of the Taoiseach out of Dublin having regard to the core business, relative size and nature of the Department's work, the number of staff serving in the Department and the need to ensure that any units being...
- Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: Emissions trading and the allocating of quotas under an emissions trading regime is the responsibility of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. However, emissions trading arrangements will be taken into account in the consideration of a carbon tax regime. I am informed that EU member states are required by the EU Directive on Emissions Trading to publish, by the end...
- Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: Since 1997 the rate of excise duty on betting was reduced from 10% to 5% with effect from 1 July 1999 and reduced from 5% to 2% with effect from 1 May 2002. There have been periodic changes also to the VAT livestock rate, which applies to the supply of live horses. Prior to the Finance Act 2003 there was no obligation on a taxpayer to make a return of exempt income or profits from the sale of...
- Written Answers — Offshore Accounts: Offshore Accounts (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that their offshore assets group was established in the autumn of 2001 for the purpose of enquiring into the use, for the purposes of tax evasion, of offshore bank accounts and trusts and the purchase of properties abroad. Since then the group has been examining this matter generally and currently has three financial institutions under inquiry in...
- Written Answers — Rail Network: Rail Network (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: In September 2003, my Department engaged Goodbody Economic Consultants to conduct a study into a number of issues related to the business case for the proposed construction of a metro from Dublin city centre to the airport. The report was received in October 2003 and subsequent clarification of a number of points has been required. The Department commissioned the report to assist in the...
- Written Answers — Stability and Growth Pact: Stability and Growth Pact (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: The Economic and Financial Affairs Council, ECOFIN, met on Tuesday, 10 February, and the discussions included consideration of the updated stability programmes and convergence programmes of a number of member states, in line with the provisions of the Stability and Growth Pact. The member states concerned were Greece, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom...
- Written Answers — Non-Resident Accounts: Non-Resident Accounts (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that 18 applications for orders under section 908 have been made and have been granted. When one includes institutions which have been taken over or amalgamated with other institutions, these orders seek information in respect of accounts in 26 financial institutions. No further applications for such orders are pending in regard to the bogus...
- Written Answers — Euro Exchange Rate: Euro Exchange Rate (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: As Minister for Finance, I have not commented in the past on the euro exchange rate and I do not now propose to make any specific comment on the euro exchange rate. The Eurogroup Ministers' meeting on 19 January 2004, with the ECB President Jean Claude Trichet, agreed the following statement on the euro exchange rate: Concerning exchange rates, our long-term strategy does not change: the euro...
- Written Answers — Insurance Industry: Insurance Industry (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: I have no plans to reduce or eliminate this levy, which yielded about â¬100 million in 2003.
- Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: I am conscious of the importance of the service provided to the coroners by the State Laboratory and the impact it inevitably has on relatives of people whose deaths are the subject of inquests at a time of great distress. I know the management of the laboratory share that sensitivity and constantly monitor the service by reviewing available resources, outsourcing possibilities and complexity...
- Written Answers — Insurance Industry: Insurance Industry (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: Competitiveness is a key priority of the Irish Presidency. In the area of financial services, including insurance, my priority is to make progress on the completion of the financial services action plan. This plan aims, among other measures, to improve the functioning of the Single Market, to the benefit of insurance policyholders and other consumers of financial services. It does so by...
- Written Answers — Stability and Growth Pact: Stability and Growth Pact (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: Ireland supports the Stability and Growth Pact which provides the framework for sound public finances in the EU. I believe that the rules of the pact should be enforced firmly and faithfully, not just because of the legal requirements, but because the provisions make good sense in themselves. During Ireland's Presidency of the Council of Ministers, our priority is the continued implementation...