Written answers

Tuesday, 24 June 2025

Photo of Eamon ScanlonEamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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320. To ask the Minister for Finance when the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal will next conduct a clinic in the west of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34281/25]

Photo of Paschal DonohoePaschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy should note at the outset that it is a legislative requirement that the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal (DDMBA) is independent in the exercise of its functions and it is a matter for the Board to determine all aspects of the management and delivery of the appeals process.

The Deputy should note that the DDMBA operates from the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) in Dún Laoghaire, who provide facilities and secretarial services so that the Board can deliver the appeals process. No other dedicated facilities have been agreed for hosting the appeals process.

The Board does on occasion run regional clinics when appropriate facilities can be sourced on an ad-hoc basis and where there is sufficient demand for, and attendance at, such clinics. For instance, two clinics have been run in Cork over the last 12 months. This is a matter that is kept under review.

Photo of Michael CahillMichael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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321. To ask the Minister for Finance to address inheritance tax anomalies (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34319/25]

Photo of Paschal DonohoePaschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Capital Acquisitions Tax (CAT) is a beneficiary-based tax on gifts and inheritances that is payable on the value of the property received. For CAT purposes, the relationship between the person giving a gift or inheritance (i.e. the disponer) and the person who receives it (i.e. the beneficiary) determines the maximum amount, known as the “Group threshold”, below which CAT does not arise.

There are three Group thresholds:

  • the Group A threshold (currently €400,000) applies where the beneficiary is a child of the person giving the gift or inheritance
  • the Group B threshold (currently €40,000) applies where the beneficiary is a brother, sister, nephew, niece, lineal ancestor or lineal descendant of the person giving the gift or inheritance
  • theGroup C threshold (currently €20,000) applies in all other cases.
My officials are currently reviewing CAT, including the thresholds applying as part of the annual Tax Strategy Group exercise. The resultant papers outline the tax policy considerations for the Government and the options available to it in forming this year’s Budget. They are published in advance of the Budget and are the best means of considering inheritance tax in an analytical and transparent way.

Finally, it is important to be aware that changes to CAT bear significant costs and must be considered in the context of available resources and must also be balanced against competing demands.

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