Tuesday, 29 Jan 2013

EU Presidency Issues

Questions (199)

Stephen Donnelly

Question:

199. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 188 of 22 January 2013, if he will supply details of the Content Management System licensed; the terms of the annual support to be provided; the number of staff trained; the areas the training covered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4191/13]

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Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade

The Content Management System licensed for the EU Presidency website www.eu2013.ie is Terminal4’s Site Manager CMS application and associated modules. Support services in the contract include telephone and email support, problem and investigation resolution, remote diagnostic support, software revision updates, on-site support, and third-party product fault diagnosis. The training provided includes CMS administrator training for two people, CMS user training for ten people and a Writing for the Web module for nine people.

Working Holiday Visas

Questions (200)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

200. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of persons here who took up working holiday visas in 2012 under the agreements with Argentina, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan and the USA, by country; and the allocation of visas here in respect of each of these countries for 2013. [4219/13]

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Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade

Ireland concludes Working Holiday agreements on a reciprocal basis. For Irish citizens the applications are administered either directly by the embassies of the countries concerned or through a sponsoring organisation nominated by them. The following table sets out the visa allocations for 2013 and the available information on the number of visas granted in 2012. A Working Holiday programme was recently concluded between the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service and the Taipei Representative Office in Ireland and is effective from January 2013. Consequently there are no figures for 2012.

Working Holiday Agreement	Number of visas granted in 2012	Allocation in 2013
Argentina	18	100
Australia	18,940 (to 30 Sept 2012)	not capped
Canada	5,350	5,350
Hong Kong	32	100
Japan	42	400
New Zealand	2,314	Not capped
South Korea	3	400
Taiwan	Not applicable	700
U.S.A	1,028	Not capped

Public Service Reform Plan Update

Questions (201)

Patrick O'Donovan

Question:

201. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade with reference to the public service reform document published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on 17 November 2011, Appendix IIa, bodies to be rationalised, amalgamated or abolished in 2012, the progress that has been made on those bodies; the changes that require legislation; the expected timeframe for conclusion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4288/13]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Deputy Joe Costello)

The Government’s Public Sector Reform Plan does not include any body under the auspices of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade that is to be rationalised, amalgamated or abolished. However, the Development Education Advisory Committee was included in the list of bodies for critical review. This review took place in the context of the recent Review of the White Paper on Irish Aid. A decision on the Development Education Advisory Committee will be made when the new policy on global development is submitted for Government approval in the near future.

Tax and Social Welfare Codes

Questions (202)

Peter Mathews

Question:

202. Deputy Peter Mathews asked the Minister for Finance his views on a matter (details supplied) in respect of the tax payments [3854/13]

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Written answers

Minister for Finance

The payment of income tax and universal social charge (USC) on income are statutory obligations on both employees and self-employed which are legislated for in the Houses of the Oireachtas. Individuals that are subject to income tax and USC do not accumulate entitlements or specific benefits but do benefit from the services provided by the State.

Public Sector Staff Recruitment

Questions (203)

Terence Flanagan

Question:

203. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Finance if he has any plans to lift the moratorium on recruitment to the Revenue Commissioners in view of the fact that there will be an additional workload on staff with the introduction of the property tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3992/13]

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Written answers

Minister for Finance

I previously advised the House in my reply to Question No. 57388/12 that the Revenue Commissioners would be resourced to ensure the successful implementation of the local property tax. The additional resources required for 2013 are noted in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Expenditure Report 2013. The Employment Control Framework of 5,874 includes 100 additional posts approved by my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in the context of the introduction of Local Property Tax. As noted in my reply to Question No 2063/13, the Revenue Commissioners advise me that they have established the nucleus of the Local Property Tax Branch in Ennis, where staff will become available for redeployment in the context of the Government's policy on shared services, specifically in the areas of payroll, banking and financial management. The Commissioners are also deploying additional staff to this Branch by reconfiguring their District structure in the South West and relocating functions from Clare to Limerick. I am satisfied that when Revenue receives the additional 100 staff which were sanctioned in 2013, they will be in a position to deploy their resources to ensure the successful implementation of Local Property Tax.

In addition, Revenue is contracting for external service delivery of some data capture and call centre services for Local Property Tax. Regarding recruitment as previously advised to the House in my reply to Question 3206/13, in recognition of the need to adequately resource Revenue and to address critical skills gaps, my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform recently granted Revenue sanction to fill critical vacancies up to the Employment Control Framework of 5,874. The Revenue Commissioners are required, in the first instance, to refer to the public service resource panel to fill vacancies. Where there are no redeployment staff available, or there are specific skills deficits, Revenue has sanction to fill posts by recruitment or promotion.

Customs and Excise Controls

Questions (204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 253)

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Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Question:

253. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Finance if he will to provide in tabular format, the total sum saved to the Exchequer each year since and including 2005 due to successful tobacco seizures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4151/13]

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Written answers

Minister for Finance

I propose to take Questions Nos. 204 to 215, inclusive, and 253 together.

I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the following table contains the information requested by the Deputy in respect of seizures by their enforcement officers of firearms, bullets, offensive weapons, psychoactive substances, narcotic drugs and cigarettes, for the years 2005 to 2012.

-	Firearms	Bullets	Offensive Weapons	Psychoactive Substances	Narcotic Drugs	Cigarettes	Cigarettes
-	Quantity	Quantity	Quantity	Quantity	Quantity	Quantity	Tax at risk
2005	1	0	0	*	4,516 kgs	51.3m	€12.6m
2006	1	500	1	*	751 kgs	52.3m	€14.4m
2007	59	5,517 + 5 packages	100	*	4,340 kgs	74.5m	€21.7m
2008	84	19,531	87	*	5,597 kgs	135.2m	.€39.5m
2009	90	868 + 5 packages	218	*	3,936 kgs	218.5m	€73.3m
2010	10	0	242	29.65 kgs	531 kgs	178.40m	€59.8m
2011	16	20 packages	386	35.90 kgs	2,588 kgs	109.1m	€36.6m
2012	88	110	264	14.19 kgs	2,129 kgs	95.6m	€34.3m

* Prior to introduction of Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Act 2010.

The final column of the table contains the amounts of estimated tax (Tobacco Products Tax and VAT) that would have been payable in respect of the cigarettes seized in each of the years from 2005 to 2012, had they been released on the market as legitimate product. I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the question whether these amounts can be viewed as equating to savings to the Exchequer would have to take account of factors such as whether the seized product was intended for sale on the Irish market, and whether the seizures resulted in the consumption, by substitution, of a corresponding amount of legitimate product in respect of which the appropriate tax was paid.

With regard to the Deputy's question on the funding provided to curb the illegal importation of the listed commodities and narcotic drugs for the years in question, I am advised that Revenue is an integrated tax and customs administration and it is not possible to disaggregate staffing resources deployed exclusively on policing the importation of these individual products. The Revenue Commissioners have around 2,000 staff engaged on activities that are dedicated to target and confront non-compliance. These activities include anti-smuggling, audit, assurance checks, debt management, investigations, prosecutions and anti-avoidance. The Commissioners advise me that non-staff enforcement equipment expenditure on the purchase and supply of vehicles, maritime cutters, detector dogs, radio equipment, scanners etc for the years in question are shown in the table immediately below.

ANTI-SMUGGLING NON PAY COSTS 2005-2012

YEAR	TOTAL
2005	2866,692
2006	2,689,461
2007	1,543,728
2008	4,173,134
2009	3,345,175
2010	2,424,880
2011	2,688,059
2012	3,421,777

With regard to the costs of staff employed on targeting non-compliance, I am advised that Revenue operates a number of programmes based on strategic priorities as set down in its Statement of Strategies that are applicable over given periods of time. For operational and effective management the funding and resources assigned to 'programmes' are interdependent, with staffing resources redeployed across programmes according to the time of year and business needs.

Property Taxation Application

Questions (216, 217)

Dara Calleary

Question:

216. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Finance the position regarding local authority housing tenants and the property tax, that is, whether they are individually liable or whether the local authority corporately liable and in the case of the liability accruing to the local authority will this be passed on to the tenant; the guidance he has issue on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4383/13]

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Dara Calleary

Question:

217. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Finance the position regarding voluntary housing associations or companies housing tenants and the property tax, that is, whether they are liable or is the housing association/company liable and in the case of the liability accruing to the association/company will this be passed on to the tenant; the guidance he has issued to the companies on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4384/13]

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Written answers

Minister for Finance

I propose to take Questions Nos. 216 and 217 together.

In accordance with Section 11 of the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012, local authorities will be liable to pay the Local Property Tax (LPT) in the same way as any other residential property owner, unless the properties are used to accommodate people with special housing needs. Special housing needs refers to the provision of housing and support for people who have a particular need in addition to a general housing need to enable them to live in the community. This includes the elderly, people with disabilities, people who have been homeless and victims of domestic violence. Where local authority owned properties are not exempted from LPT, it will be a matter for the local authorities themselves whether they will pass on the LPT liability to their tenants in the form of an increase in rent or whether they will absorb the liability without recourse to their tenants. A voluntary housing association will be similarly liable for LPT on any residential properties that it owns unless the properties are used to accommodate people with special housing needs, provided the housing association operates as a charity and has been granted a tax exemption by the Revenue Commissioners.

I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that they are currently liaising with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and with the voluntary social housing sector to establish how local authorities and voluntary housing associations, respectively, will provide the Revenue Commissioners with information in relation to their LPT liability and the timing and manner of the payment of this liability.