Derek Keating
Question:62. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Finance the achievements that he has realised since Budget 2011/2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1771/13]
View answerDepartmental Budgets
Questions (62)
Written answers
In terms of the public finances, 2012 was a successful year. We continue to meet our targets under the EU/IMF programme. We have successfully re-engaged with the international bond markets, which has acknowledged Ireland’s Fiscal and Economic progress through a significant decline in the yield on Irish Government bonds, and the economy is projected to grow again for the second consecutive year.
The Exchequer deficit was reduced by over €10 billion during 2012. Excluding the banking measures necessary in 2011, the deficit was reduced by €1.4 billion or 9% in the year. Exchequer revenue of €36.6 billion exceeded target, for only the second time since 2006. This represents a 5.3% year on year growth in revenue on an adjusted basis. A strong outturn in December pushed total tax revenue €271 million (0.7%) over the profiled amount.
The underlying Exchequer expenditure remained within targets (+0.4%) and voted expenditure was down €760 million (1.7%) year on year.
This resulted in the Exchequer primary balance target being met under the EU/IMF Programme for the ninth consecutive quarter since the Programme began in late 2010.
The General Government Balance (GGB) target of -8.6% of GDP looks set to be met with a significant margin. Budget 2013 forecast a GGB of -8.2% of GDP, but due to the strong end 2012 Exchequer figures, this figure may come in below -8%.
Ireland’s recovery was acknowledged in the international bond markets where the yield on Ireland’s benchmark 2020 maturity dropped from 8.26% at end 2011 to 4.43 % at end 2012, and early 2013 witnessed the National Treasury Management Agency’s first syndicated transaction on the markets since January 2010, which sourced €2.5 billion of funds at 3.3%.
In terms of the macroeconomic situation, Budget 2013 is based upon real GDP growth of 0.9 per cent last year and 1.5 per cent this year. The data published since Budget day, including the third quarter Quarterly National Accounts, are consistent with these projections.
Property Taxation Application
Questions (63)
Mary Lou McDonald
Question:63. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Finance his views on recent reports which predict further declines in property prices here; and his further views on whether the property tax will have a negative effect on property prices. [1788/13]
View answerWritten answers
The Deputy may be referring to a recent report by Fitch Ratings, the ratings agency, which cited a likely further drop of 20 per cent in Irish house prices. This opinion is at odds with much of the recent indicators on the Irish housing market. Data from the CSO's Residential Property Price Index show that national prices have been broadly stable for the last nine months, with prices in Dublin experiencing upward price pressure in the latter part of 2012. Also, recent statements by both Daft.ie and myHome.ie have pointed to signs of stabilisation in the some areas in the fourth quarter of 2012. While I cannot presume to forecast the market I do not share Fitch's pessimism.
As to the possible effects of the Local Property Tax on residential property prices, work completed by researchers in the ESRI before the introduction of the tax concluded that a property tax at a rate of 0.4% would result in a small increase in the user cost of housing, thereby putting some downward pressure on housing demand. The Local Property Tax rate of 0.18% (for houses up to €1m in value) is less than half the rate used in the ESRI analysis and as such the impact on housing demand is likely to be minimal.
In addition, the rental market is a competitive market with many suppliers and renters. Upstream costs such as the Local Property Tax are likely to be passed through in the rental market and as such will not create a disincentive to purchase houses relative to renting.
Question No. 64 answered with Question No. 24.
Stádas na Gaeilge san Eoraip
Questions (65)
Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:65. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den an Tánaiste agus Aire Gnóthaí Eachtracha agus Trádála cén plé a bhí aige nó ag a Roinn leis an Roinn Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta maidir lena chinntiú go mbeidh eolas ag daoine maidir leis na poist atá ar fáil san AE d’aistritheoirí agus d'ateangairí Gaeilge, agus go mbeidh an dóthain daoine cáilithe ann leis na poist a ghlacadh; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [2116/13]
View answerWritten answers
Is saincheist í seo do mo chomhghleacaí, an tAire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta. Tuigtear dom go bhfuil ceist eile ar an ábhar seo (2115/13) ón Teachta Ó Cuív á freagairt ag an Aire freisin.
(This is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht. I am aware that a similar question from the Deputy (2115/13) is being also answered by the Minister).
Departmental Staff Redeployment
Questions (66)
Sean Fleming
Question:66. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide by Department/Agency basis the number of persons who are seeking transfers to other locations; the number of transfers that took place in 2012 on a county basis on the number of transfers that took place in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2749/13]
View answerWritten answers
The information available to my Department indicates that nine officers have applied through the central transfer list system and are awaiting transfers to Departments or offices in other counties. Other officers may have applied directly through the Central Application Facility (CAF), managed by the Public Appointments Service, for moves to decentralised Departments or offices.
In 2012, five officers of my Department were transferred to other Departments or offices in other counties. Details are set out in the following table:
|
Number |
Grade |
Location from |
Location to |
|
1 |
EO |
Dublin |
Louth |
|
1 |
SO |
Dublin |
Kildare |
|
1 |
CO |
Dublin |
Longford |
|
1 |
CO |
Dublin |
Louth |
|
1 |
CO |
Limerick |
Dublin |
There are no State agencies under the aegis of my Department.
Tax Reliefs Application
Questions (67)
Brendan Smith
Question:67. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Finance if he proposes to extend the excise rebate on diesel to passenger transport companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2069/13]
View answerWritten answers
The proposal to introduce an auto-diesel excise duty relief for licensed road hauliers that I announced in the Budget is confined to licensed and tax compliant hauliers.
However, I have received a number of submissions from, and on behalf of, private coach operators seeking to have this relief extended to them. I will consider these proposals and the level of the rebate in the context of the Finance Bill. It is worth noting that one of key arguments for introducing a rebate for the haulage industry is the fact that a large quantity of fuel purchased by this industry is purchased abroad thus generating no tax revenue for the State. A rebate should encourage hauliers to start purchasing their fuel in Ireland thus offsetting some of the costs involved. Such an argument does not exist for the most part for the coach industry.
The fuel rebate scheme proposed is governed by the terms of Council Directive 2003/96/EC of 27 October 2003 which limits its application to auto diesel used in defined categories of road vehicles.
Tax Reliefs Application
Questions (68)
Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:68. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Finance the farming educational qualifications needed to avail of various farming related tax breaks detailed for each tax break; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2117/13]
View answerWritten answers
I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that certain farming educational qualifications are required by farmers who wish to avail of Young Trained Farmer Relief under the income tax and stamp duty regimes. The current position for each regime is as follows:
Income Tax: Young Trained Farmer Relief is available to farmers who are under 35 years at the start of the year in which they first become chargeable to income tax on profits from a farming trade, and who at the start of that year either –
(a) hold a qualification set out in the Table to section 667B of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (copy attached), or
(b) have a letter of confirmation from Teagasc confirming satisfactory completion of a Teagasc approved training course for persons who, in the opinion of that body, are restricted in their learning capacity due to physical, sensory, or intellectual disability or to mental health.
Stamp Duty: Young Trained Farmer Relief is available to farmers who satisfy the qualification requirements contained in Section 81AA of the Stamp Duties Consolidation Act 1999 and Schedules 2, 2A or 2B to that Act. Revenue Leaflet SD 2B summarises these qualification requirements. An additional qualification (not included in the leaflet) awarded by the Further Education and Training awards Council was added by the Finance Act 2012 – “A Level 6 Specific Purpose Certificate in Farm Administration”.
I am also advised by the Commissioners that there are no specific farming educational requirements in relation to Capital Acquisitions Tax, Capital Gains Tax, VAT and Excise Duties.
Section 667B Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 – TABLE
1. Qualifications awarded by the Further Education and Training Awards Council:
(a) Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Farming;
(b) Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Agriculture;
(c) Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Dairy Herd Management;
(d) Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Drystock Management;
(e) Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Agricultural Mechanisation;
(f) Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Farm Management;
(g) Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Machinery and Crop Management;
(h) Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Horticulture;
(i) Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Forestry;
(j) Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Stud Management;
(k) Level 6 Advanced Certificate in [Horsemanship;]
[(l) Level 6 Specific Purpose Certificate in Farm Administration.]
2. Qualifications awarded by the Higher Education and Training Awards Council:
(a) Higher Certificate in Agriculture;
(b) Bachelor of Science in Agriculture;
(c) Higher Certificate in Agricultural Science;
(d) Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Science;
(e) Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Land Management, Agriculture;
(f) Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Land Management, Horticulture;
(g) Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Land Management, Forestry;
(h) Higher Certificate in Engineering in Agricultural Mechanisation;
(i) Bachelor of Science in Rural Enterprise and Agri-Business;**
(j) Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and Environmental Management;
(k) Bachelor of Science in Horticulture;
(l) Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Horticultural Management;
(m) Bachelor of Science in Forestry;
(n) Higher Certificate in Business in Equine Studies;
(o) Bachelor of Science in Equine Studies.
3. Qualifications awarded by other third level institutions:
(a) Bachelor of Agricultural Science – Animal Crop Production awarded by University College Dublin;
(aa) Bachelor of Agricultural Science - Agri-Environmental Science awarded by University College Dublin;
(b) Bachelor of Agricultural Science – Animal Science awarded by University College Dublin;
(c) Bachelor of Agricultural Science – Food and Agribusiness Management awarded by University College Dublin;
(d) Bachelor of Agricultural Science – Forestry awarded by University College Dublin;
(e) Bachelor of Agricultural Science - Horticulture, Landscape and Sportsturf Management awarded by University College Dublin;
(f) Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine awarded by University College Dublin;
(g) Bachelor of Science in Equine Science awarded by the University of Limerick;
(h) Diploma in Equine Science awarded by the University of Limerick.
** The corresponding qualification in paragraph 2(i) of Schedule 2B SDCA 1999 is “Bachelor of Business in Rural Enterprise and Agri-Business”.
Consumer Protection
Questions (69)
Ciaran Lynch
Question:69. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Finance since AIB/EBS became a covered institution, the number of occasions on which allegations of failing to act in the interest of the customer have come to court; the number of occasions on which the allegation has been upheld; the costs incurred by the bank on each occasion that it was unsuccessful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2144/13]
View answerWritten answers
AIB have informed me that any queries related to matters such as allegations of failing to act in the interest of the customer are dealt with on a case by case basis by the bank with individual customers. Any potential broader issues which affect a greater population of customers are dealt with via established procedures in consultation with the Central Bank as regulator. All relevant disclosures in respect of legal cases involving AIB and EBS are publicly available through the Court Services website.