John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 108: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he has plans to remove the €10 charge which applies to debit cards for old age pensioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13865/08]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Stamp Duty on cheques has existed for many years and when electronic means of money transfers were subsequently introduced, Stamp Duty was gradually extended to these products to ensure that the Stamp Duty from cheques was not eroded.

In Budget 2008, I introduced a 50% cut in the Stamp Duty on Debit cards, reducing the charge for €10 to €5. A similar cut was introduced for combined Debit and ATM cards, which reduced the charge from €20 to €10.

Stamp Duty on financial cards is a significant contributor to the Exchequer and is in accordance with the overall taxation policy of widening the tax base in order to keep direct tax rates generally low. Any possible changes to the existing arrangement are considered as part of the annual Budget process.