Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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265. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will examine and reduce the employers' pay related social insurance, PRSI, rate of 10.75% to 8.5% for employees earning up to €400 per week, in the event of an increase in the minimum wage of 50 cent; his plans to widen the PRSI weekly band to alleviate the unbalanced cost attributed to the employer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33247/15]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The Government is considering the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission with regard to the National Minimum Wage, and in this context I will bear in mind the Deputy's proposals for amendments to employer's PRSI in my deliberations for Budget 2016.

In this regard, the Deputy may be aware that the 2013 Forfás report on Costs of Doing Business in Ireland 2012 noted that "Ireland has one of the lowest levels of employer's social welfare contributions.  The Irish rate (9.7%) is significantly lower than the OECD average (14.8%) and the euro area average (18.8%)".^[1]CSO data confirm that employer social security costs here are the fifth lowest across the EU27.^[2]

Furthermore, I recently undertook a public consultation on the role the tax system can play in encouraging entrepreneurship. This consultation forms part of a broader review aimed at assessing the effectiveness of the tax system in terms of starting up and expanding a new business, reviewing the effectiveness of current tax expenditures aimed at entrepreneurs, and examining whether new measures could be introduced to incentivise entrepreneurial activity. I will take this review into account in the context of my preparations for the forthcoming Budget.

[1]Page 24 of report "Cost of Doing Business in Ireland 2012" published by Forfás in April 2013

[2]Pages 35 and 36 of  report "Business in Ireland 2011" published by CSO in November 2013

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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266. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will re-instate the inheritance threshold of €542,544 which was set for early 2009, given that the threshold of €225,000 is too low; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33248/15]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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Preparations for Budget 2016 and the consequent Finance Bill are ongoing. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on what changes, if any, are being considered to Inheritance Tax or any other tax measure. I have, however, already indicated in response to previous questions that I will be reviewing the Inheritance Tax and Gift Tax (Capital Acquisitions Tax) tax-free thresholds.