Written Answers Nos. 63-71
63. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the hourly fee agreed with the special liquidator of Irish Bank Resolution Corporation; the total amount he expects to be paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3437/14]
View answerI have been advised by the Special Liquidators that they will comply with their reporting obligations and as such the liquidation accounts will be filed with the CRO after two years of the liquidation and yearly thereafter. These accounts will detail the fees payable to KPMG arising from its work as Special Liquidators of IBRC. The original rates agreed with the Special Liquidators are commensurate with those agreed by NAMA following a tender process for insolvency services and are significantly discounted when compared to actual KPMG charge out rates.
As is normal in liquidations of companies, all costs, charges and expenses properly incurred by the Special Liquidators in relation to the winding up of IBRC, including the Special Liquidators fees, will be paid out of the assets of IBRC (in Special Liquidation) in priority to all other claims.
64. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide an update on the special USC rate applied to bonuses for those working for banks; the number of persons that tax that has been collected from to date; if it would be possible to extend bonuses to any person paid a salary from public funds including State enterprise profits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3438/14]
View answerSection 531AAD of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 provides for a charge on bonus payments over €20,000 paid to employees of financial institutions that received financial support from the State under the Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Act 2008. This charge, the excess bank remuneration charge, is incorporated into the Universal Social Charge and applies in all respects as if it was USC except that it is charged at a higher rate of 45%. The normal USC rates are not applied. The charge applies for 2011 and subsequent tax years, resulting in these bonus payments attracting an effective tax rate of 90%.
The measure was introduced to discourage inappropriate additional payments to employees of these financial institutions when these institutions very existence is contingent on taxpayer support. Since the advent of the financial crisis the citizens of Ireland have endured several years of austerity as we seek to put the public finances back on a sound footing and to restore the nation to prosperity. It would not be appropriate that well paid individuals whose livelihood was ensured by sacrifices made by so many ordinary people should be seen to benefit in the face of the challenges faced by the rest of society.
It was the unique circumstances where some of these financial institutions wished to proceed to make these payments against the wishes of the then Minister for Finance that required this special legislation.
The Revenue Commissioners have informed me that 47 individuals were subject to the charge in 2011 while nobody came within the charge in 2012. The returns from the financial institutions concerned are not yet due for the tax year 2013.
As regards extending the scope of the charge, it is important to point out that remuneration rates in the Public Service and in the wider public sector are subject to Government pay policy, which is the responsibility of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
65. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Finance if the sale of the loan from Bank of Ireland secured against a hotel (details supplied) or its owners was conducted in an open process; the total number of bidders for the sale of the loan from Bank of Ireland secured against the hotel or the owners of the hotel; the total number of bidders for the sale of the loan from Irish Bank Resolution Corporation secured against the hotel or the owners of the hotel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3443/14]
View answerI have been advised by Bank of Ireland that, reflecting on both commercial considerations and customer confidentiality, Bank of Ireland does not comment on individual customer-related transactions.
I have also been advised by the Special Liquidators that the information requested regarding the sale of the loan from IBRC (In Special Liquidation) will not be published as it is commercially sensitive information. Releasing this information may prejudice the ability of the Special Liquidators to obtain best value for the loan assets in the IBRC asset sale process.
66. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Finance if he will reverse the removal of the one parent family credit in view of the impact it will have on single families who are already struggling financially; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3444/14]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware the One-Parent Family Tax Credit (OPFTC) has been replaced with a new Single Person Child Carer Tax Credit from 1 January 2014. The restructured credit is of the same value i.e. €1,650 per annum as the OPFTC and it will also carries the same entitlement to the additional €4,000 extended standard rate band, which increases it to €36,800 per annum, before liability to the higher rate of income tax arises. However, the credit will be more targeted, in that it will in the first instance, only be available to the principal carer of the child. A system that allows multiple claims in respect of the same child or children is unsustainable.
I should point out there is no specific tax credit for children in the tax code. Therefore, married or cohabiting couples are unable to avail of any additional credit to assist them in the financial maintenance of their children. In certain cases, such couples also need to maintain two households due to the location of employment, for example. The new credit is designed to be an activation measure, which was the original intention behind the OPFTC. It is designed to be an in-work benefit to support the primary carer to take up, or remain in, employment. It should not be considered as a supplementary source of income, on which the financial support of a parent depends.
The Commission on Taxation acknowledged that the One-Parent Family Tax Credit plays a role in supporting and incentivising the labour market participation of single and widowed parents. However, in its recommendations it concluded that the credit should be retained but that it should be allocated to the principal carer only. The restructuring of the credit will achieve such an outcome. Where a primary carer chooses to relinquish the credit, a secondary carer can make a claim for it provided they meet certain conditions.
Given the difficult fiscal environment, it is essential to review all tax reliefs, credits and incentives in order to ensure that they are properly targeted and if necessary re-focused in order that they can achieve the socio-economic objectives that are set for them. Therefore having completed such an exercise in relation to the OPFTC, I am not minded to reverse the legislative provisions that were approved by the Oireachtas as part of the Finance (No. 2) Act 2013.
67. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Finance if he will arrange for a P21 to be issued in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3504/14]
View answerI am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that they have no record of the person in question having ever made a request for a P21 Balancing Statement to their offices.
A P21 Balancing Statement for the tax year 2012 has now issued to the individual in question. It is dated 21st January 2014.
In order for a P21 Balancing Statement for the tax year 2013 to issue, the person in question should submit their P60 for 2013 to the Revenue Commissioners, East & South East Region, PAYE Mail Centre, P.O. Box 1, Rosslare Harbour, Co Wexford.
68. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a school place in respect of a child (details supplied) in Dublin 5; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3250/14]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the policy of my Department is to secure the maximum possible level of inclusion of students with special educational needs in mainstream primary and post-primary schools, in order to ensure that as many children as possible can be educated with their peers within their own community.
My Department therefore provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs in order to ensure that, wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education.
Children with special educational needs may be enrolled in a mainstream school and attend all mainstream classes and receive additional teaching support through the learning support and/or resource teacher. Or they may enrol in a mainstream school and attend a special class, or they may enrol in a special
school.
The enrolment of a child to a school is a matter in the first instance for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of a school. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment to schools.
The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) is the statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The NEWB will try to help parents to find a school placement if their child has been unable to secure a school placement to date. The NEWB can
be contacted at National Educational Welfare Board, National Headquarters, 16-22 Green Street, Dublin 7 or by telephone at 01-8738700.
In addition, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) can assist parents to identify appropriate educational placements for children with special educational needs.
Parents may contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs and to seek assistance in identifying placement options, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.
The NCSE also recently published a Guide for Parents and Guardians of Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs on Choosing a School. This guide is also available at www.ncse.ie.
Finally, where a parent seeks to enrol their child in a school and that school refuses to enrol a pupil, the school is obliged to inform parents of their right under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 to appeal that decision to the Secretary General of my Department. Only where an appeal under Section 29 is upheld, may the Secretary General of my Department direct a school to enrol a pupil.
69. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo has been refused a reader for their leaving certificate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3187/14]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The State Examinations Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate examinations. Applications for such accommodations are submitted by schools on behalf of their students. Full details of the scheme are available for downloading from their website: www.examinations.ie/candidates/reasonableaccommodations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
70. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a course (details supplied) has been deemed ineligible for the student grant in view of the fact that it is a full-time course of two years in a duration in a leading university, that leads to a recognised FETAC Level 7 qualification; the reason Student Universal Support Ireland has stated that this course does not lead to a major award; if his attention has been drawn to the hardship, distress and upset caused to students on this course as a result of this decision; if he will review this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3201/14]
View answerThe student grants awarding body, SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) confirmed on Monday 20th January 2014 that students attending the course referred to by the Deputy are approved for funding. The decision follows a review carried out, as part of on-going audits of student grants, on a valid question which arose over the eligibility of the specified course. On looking into the matter, my Department clarified the position in respect of this course and grants are approved for students participating on the course in 2013/14.
71. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide details of all consultancy firms engaged by his Department during 2013; if he will further provide details of all the relevant fees paid to these firms during this period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3208/14]
View answerInformation in relation to consultancy expenditure is compiled retrospectively in respect of the previous year. The details in respect of 2013 are currently being compiled and will be provided to the Deputy as soon as they are to hand.
