Written Answers Nos. 45 - 52
45. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the discussions he has had with the President of the European Parliament in regard to the need to retain the present level of Irish membership of the European Parliament; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7590/13]
View answerArticle 14.2 of the Treaty on European Union sets an overall ceiling of 750 seats, plus the President, for the European Parliament. It also provides that representation of citizens shall be degressively proportional, with a minimum threshold of six members per Member State, and that no Member State shall be allocated more than ninety-six seats. There is a need therefore to adjust the distribution of seats in the Parliament before the 2014 elections to take account of the accession of Croatia in 2013.
Under Article 14.2, the composition of the European Parliament is decided by the European Council by unanimity on the initiative of the Parliament and with its consent. Therefore the right of initiative in relation to this issue rests with the European Parliament. The Committee on Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament (AFCO) had its first consideration of a draft report on 22 January 2013. AFCO will further consider the draft report over the coming weeks and a vote in the European Parliament is planned for the March plenary session. When Parliament has agreed on its proposal will the matter come to the European Council. The Parliament must also give its consent to the decision reached by the European Council.
46. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will give an update on torture against Iraqi citizens by the US; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7645/13]
View answerI have seen no recent reports pertaining to this subject. Ireland of course deplores the use of torture in any context.
47. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Finance the timescale projected for the Budget later in 2013 in respect of 2014; if he will provide an assessment of the implications of bringing the date forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7627/13]
View answerIn 2011, EU countries launched the European Semester cycle as agreed at the European Council in June 2010. The aim of the Semester is that EU-level discussions on fiscal policy, macroeconomic imbalances, financial sector issues, and growth-enhancing structural reforms will now always take place before governments draw up their draft budgets and submit them to national parliamentary debate in the second half of the year. Additionally, the so-called "six-pack" of economic governance legislative measures came into effect in 2011 in order to enhance economic and budgetary coordination across the EU. The position on the date of budgets raised by the Deputy is as set out in section 6.4 of the Budgetary Reform Chapter of the Medium-Term Fiscal Statement published last November.
Another draft economic and budgetary regulation, part of the so-called “two-pack”, will introduce a common budgetary timeline for all euro area Member States.
When this regulation is adopted and in force, all euro area Member States will be required to publish their draft budget for central government and the main parameters of all other General Government sub-sectors no later than 15 October each year with the final budget adopted or fixed upon annually by 31 December. This means that much of our existing budgetary process, which is currently completed in the first week of December, will have to be finalised earlier in the year.
Government will be considering the implications of these reforms in the coming months and once this requirement is in force, I can assure the Deputy that all necessary action will be taken to ensure that Ireland complies with the new requirements.
48. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Finance if there are any exemptions to the property tax based on household income; if he will outline the mechanism and interest rate for the deferral of a liability to the tax; if the interest rate is variable or fixed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7660/13]
View answerThe Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012 provides exemptions for certain residential properties but none of these exemptions is related to the property owner's income. A system of deferral arrangements, for owner-occupiers and tenants on leases that are longer than 20 years, is available where there is an inability to pay and certain specified conditions are met. This option is not available for landlords or second homes. A person who qualified for full deferral can opt to defer 100% of the LPT liability. A person who qualifies for partial deferral can opt to defer 50% of liability and must select a payment option to pay the balance of the liability. Interest will be charged on LPT amounts deferred at a rate of 4% per annum. The deferred amount, including interest, will attach to the property and will have to be paid before the property is sold or transferred.
The deferral conditions are as follows:
|
Condition Number |
Condition |
|
|
Full Deferral |
1 |
Gross income for the year is unlikely to exceed €15,000 (single) and €25,000 (couple) |
|
Full Deferral |
2 |
For owner-occupiers who have an outstanding mortgage, an adjusted gross income limit applies. The thresholds (€15,000 single, €25,000 couple) may be increased by 80% of the gross mortgage interest payments that a liable person expects to make by the end of the year for which gross income is being estimated. This type of deferral will be available until 31 December 2017. |
|
Partial Deferral |
3 |
The gross income limits specified at condition number 1 above are increased to €25,000 (single) and €35,000 (couple). |
|
Partial Deferral |
4 |
For owner-occupiers who have an outstanding mortgage, an adjusted gross income limit applies. The thresholds specified at condition number 3 above (€25,000 single, €35,000 couple) may be increased by 80% of the gross mortgage interest payments that a liable person expects to make by the end of the year for which the gross income is being estimated. This type of deferral will be available until 31 December 2017. |
49. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Finance if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford can avail of tax relief for a disabled passenger; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7713/13]
View answerI am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that Section 134(3) of the Finance Act 1992 (as amended) and Statutory Instrument No. 353 of 1994 (Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations, 1994 (as amended) provide for permanent relief from the payment of specified maximum amounts of VAT and VRT for qualifying persons under the scheme. A repayment of excise duty on fuel used for the transport of a qualifying disabled person and motor tax exemption is allowable provided the vehicle has been purchased from an authorised person in the State (i.e. a person who is authorised under section 136 of the Finance Act 1992 (as amended) to manufacture, distribute, deal in, deliver, store, repair or modify unregistered vehicles and to convert registered vehicles) and the engine capacity does not exceed 4000cc. in the case of a disabled passenger.
The person (details supplied) should contact Revenue’s Central Repayments Office at Tel: 1890 606061 with a view to clarifying these details to establish their eligibility in respect of the fuel repayments and motor tax exemption.
50. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance further to the announcement by the National Asset Management Agency on 7 February 2013 when it said in the period to mid-2013, the special liquidator will seek to value and sell the secured underlying assets subject to the floating charge, after the sales process conducted by the special liquidator has been completed later in the year, National Asset Management Agency will acquire the unsold loans in the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation loan portfolio in addition to the proceeds of any asset sales conducted by the special liquidator during the sales process, if he will to confirm the NAMA valuation methodology of any loans acquired from IBRC and if such methodology will be further to the European Commission approval of the NAMA scheme in February 2010; and specifically if NAMA will be required to pay so-called long term economic value. [7717/13]
View answerI would like to refer the Deputy to Section 14 of the IBRC Bill 2013 which sets out the methodology for the valuation of assets to be acquired by NAMA. The Special Liquidator acting on the instruction of the Minister shall appoint suitably qualified person(s) to carry out an independent valuation of the bank’s assets using standard loan valuation methodologies.
51. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance further to the announcement by the National Asset Management Agency on 7 February 2013, if NAMA will bid for loan assets and associated collateral being disposed of by the special liquidator between now and mid-2013 when NAMA is to bid for any remaining loans. [7718/13]
View answerIn accordance with Section 13(a) & (b) of the IBRC Act 2013 the Minister may direct NAMA in writing to bid for or acquire IBRC assets. NAMA has been directed to establish a special purpose vehicle to acquire the floating charge over certain IBRC assets. After the sales process conducted by the Special Liquidator has been completed NAMA is expected to acquire the unsold loans in the IBRC loan portfolio in addition to the proceeds of any assets sales conducted by the Special Liquidator during the sales process.
52. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance further to the announcement by the National Asset Management Agency on 7 February 2013, if he will provide an assessment of the merit in directing NAMA to acquire all legacy loans at the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation today. [7719/13]
View answerThe recent enactment of the IBRC Act 2013 together with the replacement of the Promissory Notes with a portfolio of Irish Government Bonds puts in place a permanent, finite and viable solution in terms of a significant portion of the shortfall in banking financing that has emerged through the Irish financial crisis. Following an independent valuation process, the Special Liquidators will sell the assets of IBRC (which are subject to a floating charge which secures IBRC debt to the Central Bank which will be sold to NAMA) to third parties at or above their independent valuation and failing that the Special Liquidators will sell the assets to NAMA at their valuation price. The measure has the further advantage of achieving efficiencies by housing all legacy assets in one vehicle. Government took the view that it made little sense at this point to retain two State organisations performing broadly similar functions and that, in the interests of costs and efficiency, it was appropriate for NAMA to purchase the assets of IBRC.
