Written Answers Nos. 58 - 68
58. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of staff by grade currently working in the Irish Embassies in Madrid, Paris, Ottawa, Mexico and Athens for the years 2010, 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11814/13]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. The staffing figures take account of staff assigned from Ireland and locally engaged support staff as well as, in the cases of Madrid and Paris, staff of other Departments whose salary costs are borne by those Departments.
|
Embassy |
Current staffing complement |
Changes since March 2010 |
|
Madrid |
Officers posted from HQ 1 Ambassador (Assistant Secretary) 1 Third Secretary 1 Executive Officer 1 Liaison Officer (Garda) Local Staff 1 PA to Ambassador 1 Consular Manager 6 Clerk Secretaries 1 Intern 1 Messenger 1 Driver |
Vacant First Secretary post temporarily filled by an Intern for duration of EU Presidency Consular Manager post created in lieu of Executive Officer post being suppressed post EU Presidency |
|
Paris |
Officers posted from HQ Embassy Paris 1 Ambassador (Assistant Secretary) 2 First Secretaries 2 Third Secretaries 1 Liaison Officer (Garda) 1 Agriculture Attaché (D/Agriculture, Food and the Marine) Local Staff 1 PA to Ambassador 8 Clerk Secretaries 1 Driver 1 Messenger |
Counsellor post downgraded to First Secretary First Secretary post downgraded to Third Secretary Executive Officer post suppressed |
|
Ottawa |
Officers posted from HQ 1 Ambassador (Assistant Secretary) 1 First Secretary Local Staff 1 PA to Ambassador (temporary post) 3 Clerk Secretaries 1 Intern 1 Driver / Messenger |
Vacant Third Secretary post temporarily filled by an Intern for duration of EU Presidency |
|
Mexico |
Officers posted from HQ 1 Ambassador (Counsellor) 1 First Secretary 1 Third Secretary Local Staff 1 PA to Ambassador 2 Clerk Secretaries 2 Drivers / Messengers |
None |
|
Athens |
Officers posted from HQ 1 Ambassador (Counsellor) 1 Third Secretary Local Staff 1 PA to Ambassador 2 Clerk Secretaries 1 Intern 1 Driver / Messenger 1 Cleaner |
Vacant First Secretary post temporarily filled by an Intern for duration of EU Presidency |
59. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Finance if persons on pensions who cannot afford to pay the tax long-term and opt to defer it are subject to an additional 8% annual charge or a 4% charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11736/13]
View answer60. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Finance with regards to the local property tax, if he will take the money at source from those who cannot or will not pay or will they add 8% onto the tax annually until it is paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11737/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 60 together.
In line with all other taxes, the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012 provides for the charging of interest on overdue taxes at annual rate of 8% or 0.0219% per day, the same as the rate chargeable in relation to overdue income or capital gains taxes. The legislation provides for the possibility of full or partial deferral in certain defined circumstances to qualified liable persons, and in such circumstances, the interest is 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. Details of the deferral arrangements are available on Revenue's website www.revenue.ie, where the Revenue Commissioners have recently published a useful Guide to Local Property Tax.
I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that, for those who do not qualify for deferral of the tax, there is a wide range of payment options available to liable persons, which will allow them to pay their LPT liability in full or to pay the tax in equal instalments beginning in July 2013 by direct debit or by deduction at source from employment income, occupational pension or certain payments for the Department of Social Protection or the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. In these circumstances, no interest will be charged.
I am satisfied that Revenue will make it as easy as possible for people to comply with their obligations and facilitate the vast majority of liable persons who, I believe, will wish to pay their LPT charge. However, for those residential property owners who are not prepared to pay, I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that, in the interests of fairness and equity to the compliant taxpayer who pays their LPT, follow-up action will be taken to recover the tax from those liable persons as soon as possible. Revenue will pursue payment of the Revenue Estimate, which is an estimate of the LPT due and applies where the liable person has failed to submit their LPT Return, including by way of mandatory deduction from 1 July 2013 from the liable person's employment income, occupational pension or certain Government payments. In such circumstances, payment of interest will not arise assuming no additional liability arises.
61. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider an appeal to his clemency and waive the outstanding amount owed by the person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11723/13]
View answerI consider that intervention by me in an issue involving Revenue and an individual taxpayer would not be appropriate. It is a longstanding convention that the Minister for Finance does not intervene in such matters. I would note also the provision enacted by the Oireachtas last year in the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 2011 whereby the independence of the Revenue Commissioners in the performance of their functions was enacted in Section 101 of that Act.
62. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if Allied Irish Banks, in which he is the shareholder of 99.8% of the shares, will meet the Central Bank of Ireland licensing criteria as set out in the Licensing and Supervision Requirements and Standards for Credit Institutions. [11728/13]
View answer63. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if Permanent TSB, in which he is the shareholder of 99.5% of the shares, can meet the Central Bank of Ireland licensing criteria as set out in the Licensing and Supervision Requirements and Standards for Credit Institutions. [11729/13]
View answer64. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if Bank of Ireland, in which he is the shareholder of 15% of the shares, will meet the Central Bank of Ireland licensing criteria as set out in the Licensing and Supervision Requirements and Standards for Credit Institutions. [11730/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 62 to 64, inclusive, together.
As the Deputy will be aware Allied Irish Bank, Permanent TSB and Bank of Ireland all hold Irish banking licences issued by the Central Bank of Ireland. I have been also advised by the Central Bank that under Section 33AK of the Central Bank Act, the Central Bank of Ireland is restricted in its ability to detail specific elements of the supervision of Credit Institutions, and cannot therefore provide details of any breaches to the Central Bank's Licensing and Supervision Requirements for Credit Institutions. The Central Bank can confirm that in the event of a breach of the licensing criteria occurring, action would be taken to ensure the credit institution remediates the cause of the breach immediately (if possible), and to ensure that the breach does not recur. Depending on the nature of the breach, further Central Bank action will be considered, including possible enforcement action and other regulatory sanction.
65. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if Ulster Bank Ireland will meet the Central Bank of Ireland licensing criteria as set out in the Licensing and Supervision Requirements and Standards for Credit Institutions. [11731/13]
View answer66. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if Danske Bank will meet the Central Bank of Ireland licensing criteria as set out in the Licensing and Supervision Requirements and Standards for Credit Institutions. [11732/13]
View answer67. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if ACC Bank will meet the Central Bank of Ireland licensing criteria as set out in the Licensing and Supervision Requirements and Standards for Credit Institutions. [11733/13]
View answer68. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if KBC Bank Ireland will meet the Central Bank of Ireland licensing criteria as set out in the Licensing and Supervision Requirements and Standards for Credit Institutions. [11734/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 65 to 68, inclusive, together.
The Central Bank of Ireland has informed me that under Section 33AK of the Central Bank Act 1942, the Bank is restricted in its ability to detail specific elements of the licensing and supervision requirements of individual Credit Institutions, and cannot therefore provide details of the licensing criteria of the Banks referred to in the Deputy's questions.
