Quinn, RuairíThursday, 12 December 1996 |
Dáil Éireann Debate
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Ceisteanna—Questions. Priority Questions. - Inflation Rate.
Was asked: the way in which the Irish inflation rate is calculated and the basket of goods used for such a calculation; his views on whether the inflation rate is accurate, underestimated or overestimated; the a...
Ceisteanna—Questions. Priority Questions. - National Debt.
Was asked: the plans, if any, he has to end Exchequer borrowing in order to reduce the national debt of the country.
Other Questions. - Pre-Budget Submission.
Was asked: whether his Department is in receipt of pre-budget submissions from bodies who did not make such submissions to the Select Committee on Finance and General Affairs; and if he will make a statement on ...
Other Questions. - Family Trust Tax Laws.
Was asked: the representations, if any, which have been made to his Department calling for an amendment of the tax laws relating to large family trusts (details supplied) as recently reported in the newspapers; ...
Was asked: whether accountants for a company (details supplied) were afforded a special pre-budget meeting in his Department, whilst other lobby groups had to be satisfied with meeting the Select Committee on Fi...
Was asked: whether his Department has been approached on behalf of the beneficial owners of a company (details supplied) seeking changes in the law relating to this company's tax liability in respect of a discre...
Was asked: whether his Department has been approached on behalf of the beneficial owners of a company (details supplied) seeking changes in the law relating to this company's tax liability in respect of a discre...
Other Questions. - EMU Implications.
Was asked: the cost of Euro Week; the proposed content of the forthcoming Government public information programme on economic and monetary union and the changeover to the new currency; the cost of such a campaig...
Was asked: the proposals, if any, he has to institute a formal information programme to ensure that businesses are fully aware of the implications of economic and monetary union; and if he will make a statement ...
Other Questions. - Residential Property Tax.
Was asked: the plans, if any, he has to abolish the residential property tax; and the plans, if any, he has to reduce the levels of tax relief which will be made available to the PAYE taxpayer for the forthcomin...
Was asked: the total amount received in residential property tax by county and by postal district in Dublin for the tax year 1995-96; and if he will make a statement on the provisional yield of such tax in the c...
Was asked: the total amount received in residential property tax by county and by postal district in Dublin for the tax year 1995-96; and if he will make a statement on the provisional yield of such tax in the c...
Other Questions. - Statement by Association of Higher Civil Servants.
Was asked: his views on the statement attributed to the Association of Higher Civil Servants which publicly supported the Minister for Justice as the most able, hard working and personable Minister it has ever h...
Was asked: the action, if any, which has been taken by the Secretary of his Department, as head of the Civil Service, in relation to the statement of the AHCS branch in the Department of Justice regarding the ha...
Was asked: the action, if any, he proposes to take in the interests of restoring and safeguarding the hitherto strictly apolitical relationship between the Civil Service and the Legislature in view of the public...
Written Answers. - Confidential Settlements.
Was asked: his views on the number of confidential settlements being made by Government Departments in view of the consequent restrictions that such settlements place on the ability of the Committee of Public Ac...
I do not agree the small number of payments treated as confidential has any material effect on the ability of the Committee of Public Accounts to perform its functions. Details of all settlements, ir...
Written Answers. - Pension Funds.
Was asked: his views on the amount of Irish pension fund money which is invested abroad.
From information published by the pension fund industry, the pension fund sector had total assets in excess of £16 billion at end of 1995, with over £6 billion or nearly 40 per cent of these funds inv...
Written Answers. - Tax Exemptions.
Was asked: if he has considered the plight of old age pensioners in receipt of modest pensions from previous employment, some of whom also receive a contributory old age pension, who are obliged to pay tax and P...
It is a general principle of taxation that, as far as possible, income from all sources should be subject to taxation. In line with this principle income from pensions is, therefore, reckonable as in...
Written Answers. - Car Parking Spaces.
Was asked: the estimated number of car parking spaces in Dublin in various Government Departments and other public bodies.
Written Answers. - Casino Licence.
Was asked: whether he will publish the interagency task force report on all aspects of licensing a casino, including its likely impact on tourism.
The Government asked the Department of Finance to prepare a report, in consultation with the other Government Departments and agencies involved, on the pros and cons of licensing casino gaming either ...
Written Answers. - Telephone Charges.
Was asked: whether his Department has made any arrangements to seek competitive phone charges for the public service; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Was asked: whether his Department has made any arrangements to seek competitive phone charges for the public service; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to answer Questions Nos. 17 and 22 together. As part of the Department of Finance's ongoing strategy to reduce overall telecommunications costs to the Exchequer, an agreement has been reache...
Written Answers. - EU Structural Policies.
Was asked: if he will summarise his views on the future of structural policies in an enlarged EU, in view of the address made to a conference on Europe of the Regions.
The Government considers the development and strengthening of the European Union's cohesion policies to be an integral part of the process of furthering European integration. It also considers that e...
Written Answers. - Health Insurance.
Was asked: the implications, if any, for the Exchequer of the opening-up of the Irish health insurance market.
It is impossible to predict what impact increased competition will have on the Exchequer. However, if it leads to a more cost efficient and better provision of service, it is to be welcomed. The new f...
Written Answers. - Community Support Framework.
Was asked: when the mid-term review of the EU's support funding will take place; the changes, if any, he has proposed in the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The mid-term review of the Community Support Framework and its constituent operational programmes and the Community initiatives is currently under way. It is intended that the review will be complete...
Written Answers. - Pre-Budget Submissions.
Was asked: whether his Department is in receipt of pre-budget submissions from bodies who did not make such submissions to the Oireachtas Select Committee on Finance and General Affairs; and if he will make a st...
Was asked: whether his Department is in receipt of pre-budget submissions from bodies who did not make such submissions to the Oireachtas Select Committee on Finance and General Affairs; and if he will make a st...
I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 26 together. A number of pre-budget submissions were received in the Department of Finance from interested parties who, it is understood, did not make their sub...
Written Answers. - Income Tax.
Was asked: the portion of income taken in income tax, levies and PRSI at 5 per cent from a self-employed single mother with an ordinary personal allowance and with a taxable income of £8,000, £10,000, £12,000, £...
Was asked: the portion of income taken in income tax, levies and PRSI at 5 per cent from a self-employed single mother with an ordinary personal allowance and with a taxable income of £8,000, £10,000, £12,000, £...
I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 29 together. The information requested by the Deputies in the first part of the question is set out in the following table.
Written Answers. - Public Service Management Bill.
Was asked: the implications, if any, the recently proposed Public Service Management Bill will have on the functioning of his Department.
The Public Service Management Bill will provide a statutory basis for the creation of a new management structure in the Civil Service. The framework for this new management structure was set out in D...
Written Answers. - Employment of Persons with Disabilities.
Was asked: the percentage of persons with a disability employed by Departments in the Civil Service on 1 December 1996; the percentage of persons with a disability employed at each grade; the proposals, if any, ...
Was asked: the number of people with serious disabilities who are employed in the public service; and the plans, if any, he has to ensure that disabled people have greater access to existing public service job o...
I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 35 together. The most recent date for which comprehensive data are available is 1 October 1995. The proportion of people with disabilities employed in the Civi...
Written Answers. - Residential Property Tax.
Was asked: if he will agree to consider the abolition of residential property tax; whether he supports the view that residential property tax is unfair; if his attention has been drawn to the strength of feeling...
The Programme, A Government of Renewal, indicated that the future of residential property tax would be considered in the context of a professional study of local government financing undertaken by the...
Written Answers. - Departmental Property.
Was asked: the plans, if any, the Office of Public Works has for Cullenswood House, Oakley Road, Ranelagh, Dublin 6.
Was asked: the plans, if any, the Office of Public Works has for Cullenswood House, Oakley Road, Ranelagh, Dublin 6.
Written Answers. - Traffic Management.
Was asked: if he has considered the chaos in traffic terms caused by the increase in new car sales; and, if so, if he will consider ceasing the car scrappage scheme at this point and, as an alternative, offer in...
I am well aware of the increasing volumes of traffic in our cities and towns. However, traffic management is not the direct responsibility of my Department.
Written Answers. - National Lottery.
Was asked: the terms of reference of the recently established National Lottery Interdepartmental Committee; the proposed completion date of the work programme of the committee; if the findings of the report will...
As announced, it is intended that the interdepartmental committee will review the arrangements for the administration of national lottery grants and recommend such improvements as it considers necessa...
Written Answers. - Duty Free Shopping Facilities.
Was asked: if his attention has been drawn to EU regulations abolishing duty free sales for international travellers within the EU in the future; the action, if any, he intends to take to ensure that Ireland is ...
The provisions of EU Directives 91/680/EEC and 92/12/EEC, agreed as part of the tax measures establishing the EU Single Market, authorise the continuation, until 30 June 1999, of duty free shopping fa...
Written Answers. - North-South Economic Co-operation.
Was asked: the recent initiatives, if any, the Government has taken regarding North-South economic co-operation, both in connection with the Presidency and otherwise; and whether he has addressed or proposes to ...
The Government has consistently supported initiatives aimed at promoting North-South economic co-operation and consolidating the peace process. The International Fund for Ireland was established by th...
Written Answers. - Decentralisation Programme.
Was asked: the current position regarding the location of an alternative site to the Newry Road, Dundalk, County Louth, in connection with the decentralisation programme to Dundalk; and if he will make a stateme...
Since it was decided to seek an alternative site for the decentralised offices in Dundalk, there has been ongoing contact between the Office of Public Works and Louth County Council aimed at progressi...
Written Answers. - Peace and Reconciliation Programme.
Was asked: the representations, if any, which have been made regarding recent problems in EU peace and reconciliation funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I presume the Deputy is referring to recent threats to the funding for the Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation in the 1997 draft EU budget. Following high-level representations by ...
Written Answers. - Government Advertising.
Was asked: the way in which he can justify excluding Government and Government agencies advertising from local newspapers in view of the high readership which provincial newspapers have; and if he will make a st...
Written Answers. - National Lottery Funds.
Was asked: the percentage of national lottery revenue spent on marketing activities; if he will place a cap on the percentage of lottery revenue which can be used to market the national lottery in the context of...
The National Lottery Company operates the national lottery under licence from the Minister for Finance. While the approval of the Minister for Finance is required for games offered by the company, t...
Written Answers. - Iris Oifigiúil.
Was asked: the current procedures in relation to the placing of notices in Iris Oifigiúil; the person who gives authorisation for the placing of such notices; and the procedures followed by his Department once n...
Written Answers. - Peace and Reconciliation Programme.
Was asked: the major flagship projects which have been approved to date under the Programme for Peace and Reconciliation.
The Deputy appears to have a misconception of the rationale underlying the Special EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation. The primary focus of the programme is centred on activities which are int...
Written Answers. - European Council Meeting.
Was asked: if economic and monetary union is on the agenda of the European Council meeting at Dublin Castle on 13 December 1996.
Economic and monetary union — EMU — will feature prominently on the agenda at the forthcoming European Council. The European Council will be asked to endorse the report from the Council of Finance Mi...
Written Answers. - Telecommunications Costs.
Was asked: if some Irish telecommunications users will face a 21 per cent increase in the cost of international calls as a result of the closing of a tax loophole.
I assume the Deputy is referring to value added tax. The position is that many member states of the European Union, including Ireland, are concerned that they may lose significant amounts of VAT reve...
Written Answers. - Child Care Costs.
Was asked: whether he supports the view that the cost of child care should be incorporated into our tax allowance system.
Any proposals in relation to a tax allowance for child care will be considered in the context of the 1997 budget and the benefits of any such proposals will be considered in comparison to other possib...
Written Answers. - Taxation of Cross-Border Workers.
Was asked: whether he intends to assist cross-Border workers in connection with their taxation campaign; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
As the Deputy is aware, the issues involved in the taxation of cross-Border workers were thoroughly investigated by an interdepartmental committee which I established last year. This committee found ...
Written Answers. - EU Financing.
Was asked: if any cognisance is taken of the possibility of Great Britain not joining economic and monetary union in regard to the negotiations in relation to a further tranche of EU Structural Funds post-1999; ...
The negotiations on the future financing of the Union, including the Structural Funds, will not commence until the conclusion of the Intergovernmental Conference when the Commission will submit a comm...
Written Answers. - Peace and Reconciliation Programme.
Was asked: if his attention has been drawn to any difficulties regarding the take-up of EU peace and reconciliation funding by reason of the fact that while organisations on the south side of the Border are will...
There have been no particular difficulties experienced in dealing with applications under the Special EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation in the Border counties, and I am not aware of any diffic...
Written Answers. - PAYE Allowance.
Was asked: the reason a PAYE allowance is not made available to directors of small companies whose earnings are subjected to PAYE; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The PAYE allowance, currently £800, is available to ordinary employees. The 1994 Finance Act extended the PAYE allowance to children of the self-employed, including farmers, and of proprietary direct...
Written Answers. - Harbour Authorities Tax Treatment.
Was asked: the steps, if any, he has taken to consult with the Department of the Marine to re-examine the tax treatment of ports in general and of Greenore port in particular, further to his reply to Parliamenta...
No decision has yet been taken on what changes are required in the tax treatment of harbour authorities generally or of Greenore specifically arising from the Harbours Act, 1996. The matter is being ...
Written Answers. - Child Care Services.
Was asked: the consideration, if any, he has given to the cost of child care, particularly crèche costs; the submissions, if any, he has received in this respect; and if he will agree to review this matter.
I have received a number of submissions regarding the VAT treatment of child minding services and income tax relief for parents in respect of the cost of child care. As regards the question of VAT, th...
Written Answers. - Government Programme.
Was asked: if the Government has not fulfilled any commitment contained in section 21 of the programme entitled A Government of Renewal which states, with regard to public enterprise/State assets, that the Gover...
The programme entitled A Government of Renewal provides that “State assets will not be sold except where it protects employment and is in the long-term strategic interest of the company and its stakeh...
Written Answers. - Corporate Planning.
Was asked: the clear commercial mandate and clarity in financial targets which each commercial State body has been given in each of the years 1995 to 1997; the criteria used to measure their performances; if he ...
The setting of a commercial mandate for commercial State bodies is achieved through the corporate planning process. Corporate plans are drafted and adopted by the bodies concerned after consultation ...
Written Answers. - Third Banking Force.
Was asked: the current situation regarding the promotion of a vigorous third banking force; the progress, if any, made to date in this regard; the difficulties or concerns, if any, which have been brought to his...
The prime objective of the concept of a third banking force was to generate greater competition within the retail banking market. In this respect, much progress has been made over the past few years ...
Written Answers. - National Debt.
Was asked: the level of the national debt as at 1 December 1994, 1 December 1995 and 1 December 1996.
The following is the national debt at 1 December for the years 1994 to 1996, inclusive:
Written Answers. - Seed Capital Scheme.
Was asked: if the seed capital scheme for tax refunds for new enterprises could be extended to new businesses not directly involved in manufacturing.
The seed capital scheme already applies to a range of business activities extending beyond manufacturing, including certain services activities that are internationally oriented. Indeed, the sectoral...
Written Answers. - Tax Reliefs.
Was asked: if he will review the case of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath who applied some time ago for financial aid for a special car to cater for his disability.
I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that an application for repayment of VRT under the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations, 1994 was received from the person ...
| Last Updated: 21/05/2011 07:32:54 |
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