Results 241-260 of 32,060 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Budgetary Process. (1 Feb 2005)

Richard Bruton: What has happened to the commitment the previous Minister obtained from the Departments of Agriculture and Food and Transport that they would change the way they presented their Estimates and adopt performance indicators to make a more meaningful presentation? As far as I know, that pilot project has not seen the light of day. Has it been derailed?

Tax Code. (1 Feb 2005)

Richard Bruton: If the core issue is to examine how high earning individuals can reduce their tax liability to zero, which is a scandal, can the Minister in a much more rapid and targeted way cap what any individual can claim on the aggregate of relief across the board? It is a targeted intervention which would not destroy the relief if the Minister feels the relief continues to have relevance. Why has he...

Tax Code. (1 Feb 2005)

Richard Bruton: Caps already exist on some schemes such as that for film relief, so that a new concept is not being introduced. Is the Minister indicating that next year's budget will contain a comprehensive response to this review? I am sure he will forgive me for being sceptical of reviews. We have seen about ten reviews of competition with no concrete action taken on many of them. I know the Minister does...

Decentralisation Programme. (1 Feb 2005)

Richard Bruton: What is the Minister's understanding of the status of the locations? I believe that 29 of the 53 locations are included in one of the first three phases. I also understand that the chairman of the group has said that some of those proposals are simply not feasible, do not hold water and cannot proceed. Has the Government completely washed its hands of responsibility for the promises it made...

Decentralisation Programme. (1 Feb 2005)

Richard Bruton: That is not what I said.

Decentralisation Programme. (1 Feb 2005)

Richard Bruton: The Minister is very good at answering my points, but it is he who wishes to have it both ways. His predecessor as Minister for Finance, former Deputy McCreevy, introduced what he has called an ambitious political programme without any strategic analysis or thought given to whether it would fit. It was done in the wrong manner. By any standards, that is not the way to make important decisions...

Tax Code. (1 Feb 2005)

Richard Bruton: Question 13: To ask the Minister for Finance if the termination dates set out in the Finance Act 2004 for various property-based schemes are subject to review under the public consultation which he has announced. [2557/05]

Tax Code. (1 Feb 2005)

Richard Bruton: In signalling this review in respect of schemes that have a fixed termination date of 31 July 2006, is the Minister inviting a whole lobby group to start converging on him and Members of the House to try to extend the closing dates of relief schemes or has he made a definite decision that the closing dates mean the end of those schemes and that the review will not reopen them? There is some...

Written Answers — Special Savings Incentive Scheme: Special Savings Incentive Scheme (1 Feb 2005)

Richard Bruton: Question 142: To ask the Minister for Finance if he plans to undertake a study of the impact of the maturity of SSIAs on the economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2793/05]

Written Answers — Motor Vehicle Registration: Motor Vehicle Registration (1 Feb 2005)

Richard Bruton: Question 146: To ask the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the complaint by an organisation (details supplied) of discrimination in the operation of the VAT system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2416/05]

Humanitarian Relief. (2 Feb 2005)

Richard Bruton: Question 138: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he intends to increase the amount pledged by the Government in humanitarian assistance to the countries affected by the Asia tsunami; if further Government aid will be taken directly from the emergency relief fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2621/05]

Humanitarian Relief. (2 Feb 2005)

Richard Bruton: Question 158: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the humanitarian situation in India, in regions affected by the recent devastating tsunami; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2650/05]

Written Answers — National Anti-Poverty Networks: National Anti-Poverty Networks (2 Feb 2005)

Richard Bruton: Question 279: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the reasons the funding for the community workers co-operative under the national anti-poverty programme has been withdrawn without consultation with the CDWC, despite the high rating of the work of the CDWC in reviews of this funding mechanism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3099/05]

Written Answers — Early School Leavers: Early School Leavers (3 Feb 2005)

Richard Bruton: Question 41: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of children who fail to transfer from primary to secondary education for each of the most recent five years for which statistics are available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2897/05]

Written Answers — Telephone Allowance Scheme: Telephone Allowance Scheme (3 Feb 2005)

Richard Bruton: Question 126: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he has considered the possibility of extending the free telephone entitlement to include a substantial contribution to free Internet access for eligible persons, particularly in view of the fact that this technology is growing in importance as a means for participation and access to information for the public at large and...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (3 Feb 2005)

Richard Bruton: Question 208: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the income threshold for qualification for a rent subsidy under shared ownership and the subsidy awarded when the scheme was first introduced; and the percentage by which the subsidy and the thresholds have increased since that date. [3194/05]

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (3 Feb 2005)

Richard Bruton: Question 209: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the 4.3% of the market value used to decide the rental payment under shared ownership and the annual indexation of this value by 4.5% per annum, is now out of line with the rent ratios and rate of increase in rents which apply in the private rented sector; and his views on whether persons undertaking...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (3 Feb 2005)

Richard Bruton: Question 210: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has satisfied himself that the cost for a person on shared ownership of converting to a 100% loan is creating a disincentive for persons to move as quickly as possible to a standard mortgage; and if he will consider initiatives to reduce the cost of such a conversion which is now €650; and if he will...

Finance Bill 2005: Second Stage. (8 Feb 2005)

Richard Bruton: I congratulate the Minister on the presentation of his first Finance Bill. We are starting a process which will probably run to 24 hours of solid debating about the Government's tax policy. My main criticism is that we are devoting this huge block of time to a debate about what is essentially tinkering at the edges of our tax structure, while we ignore the elephant in the corner, namely, the...

Finance Bill 2005: Second Stage. (8 Feb 2005)

Richard Bruton: Since 2002? Very little.