Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 232: To ask the Minister for Finance the revenue that would be saved by capping all contributions to private pension funds at €150,000 per annum. [37121/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Tax relief on employee contributions to occupational pension schemes is subject to age-related percentage limits and to an overall annual earnings cap of €150,000 for 2009. The annual earnings cap and age-related percentage limits also apply to contributions to personal pension plans (i.e. Retirement Annuity Contracts and Personal Retirement Savings Accounts). In the case of occupational pension schemes, however, employer contributions on behalf of employees do not come within the age related and annual earnings cap limits applying to employee contributions. In that regard, control is effectively exercised on employer contributions through the separate funding limit relating to the maximum benefits that can be funded for under an occupational pension scheme (i.e. a pension of two-thirds of final salary). In addition, there is a general overall limit on the capital value of tax-relieved benefits that can be drawn down in a person's lifetime – known as the Standard Fund Threshold – and which currently stands at just over €5.4 million.

Employer contributions to occupational pension schemes are required to be returned annually to the Revenue Commissioners in aggregate form. Since the data is not disaggregated at the level of the employee or scheme member, there is no basis on which to estimate the impact of the change suggested in the question.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 233: To ask the Minister for Finance the revenue that would be saved or lost by allowing people to right off pension contributions against tax at a single rate of 33%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37122/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I assume that the Deputy is referring to individual pension contributions, the tax relief on which is allowed at the taxpayer's marginal income tax rate, that is, at the standard or higher rate of income tax as appropriate in each case.

A breakdown of the cost of tax relief on employee contributions to occupational pension schemes is not available by income tax rate, as tax returns by employers to the Revenue Commissioners of employee contributions to such schemes are aggregated at employer level. An historical breakdown is available by tax rate of the tax relief claimed on contributions to personal pension plans - Retirement Annuity Contracts (RACs) and Personal Retirement Savings Accounts (PRSAs) - by the self-employed and others, to the extent that the contributions have been included in the personal tax returns of those taxpayers. The latest data available in this regard are preliminary figures in respect of the tax year 2007.

There is, therefore, no statistical basis for providing definitive figures. However, by making certain assumptions about the available information, it is estimated that the overall full year yield to the Exchequer from allowing tax relief at a flat rate of 33% in respect of individual contributions to occupational pension schemes, RACs and PRSAs would be about €135 million. It is assumed that tax relief at the flat rate of 33% would also be available to claimants who are currently confined to tax relief at the standard rate of 20%.

The estimated Exchequer saving assumes no change in the current relief arrangements for PRSI and health levy on pension contributions and takes no account of the economic or behavioural impacts which would occur as a result of a change in tax treatment as envisaged in the question.

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 234: To ask the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 240 and 241 of 7 October 2009, the amount of this air travel tax which applies to flights departing from Shannon Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37139/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that payments of Air Travel Tax by airline operators are not required to be broken down by airport. It is not possible, therefore, to provide details of the amount of tax attributable to flights departing from Shannon Airport.