Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 370: To ask the Minister for Finance the return to the Exchequer if the health levy was increased by 3% on persons earning in excess of €100,000. [34440/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the yield to the Exchequer from increasing the health contribution rate by three percentage points on incomes in excess of €100,000 is estimated at €205m in a full year.

The figure is an estimate from the Revenue tax-forecasting model using actual data for the year 2007 adjusted as necessary for income and employment trends for the year 2010. It is therefore provisional and likely to be revised.

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 371: To ask the Minister for Finance the savings to the Exchequer if pension contributions were reduced to €100,000. [34441/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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It is presumed the Deputy is referring to the current annual earnings cap of €150,000, which operates to limit the level of tax-relieved personal pension contributions in any one year. The annual earnings cap acts, in conjunction with age-related percentage limits of annual earnings, to put a ceiling on the annual amount of tax relief an individual taxpayer can obtain on pension contributions.

The full year yield to the Exchequer arising from reducing the earnings cap to the amount mentioned in the question is estimated as follows:

With regard to occupational pensions, (that is, schemes set up by the employer), the figures in respect of employee contributions are available only in aggregate form. Information on such contributions is not captured in such a way as to make it possible to associate contributions with individual income levels. For that reason the estimated yield to the Exchequer in respect of these contributions is extremely tentative.

The estimated yield is based on assuming that tax relief which would be affected by the changes mentioned in the question is currently allowed at the top income tax rate of 41% and at the maximum age-related percentage limit of earnings. The figure provided could therefore be regarded as the maximum Exchequer yield in respect of those taxpayers.

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 372: To ask the Minister for Finance the savings to the Exchequer if all property based tax reliefs were abolished. [34442/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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It is assumed that the Deputy is referring to the abolition of the tax relief on future expenditure in relation to the following property based tax incentive schemes that remain in the tax code: *Convalescent Homes *Qualifying (Private) Hospitals *Qualifying Mental Health Centres Qualifying Specialist Palliative Care Units (subject to Commencement Order) Buildings used for Childcare Purposes *Registered Nursing Homes *Qualifying (Nursing Home) Residential Units, and Certain tourism infrastructure under the Mid-Shannon Scheme (only 80% of expenditure can qualify in certain areas).

I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that, based on information regarding the cost of these schemes that has been received and collated for the tax year 2007, the latest year for which data is available, the annual yield to the Exchequer from the abolition of these reliefs could be in the region of €43 million. Apart from the schemes listed above all other property based tax incentive schemes have been terminated on, or before, 31 July 2008. *Abolished in Supplementary Budget and Finance Bill 2009.