Written Answers Nos. 110-117
110. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Finance if a person (details supplied) in County Kildare is in receipt of that person's proper payments; if the deductions, as determined by his Department, are correct; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5196/15]
View answerI have been advised by the Revenue Commissioners that details of the 2015 tax credits were issued to the person's pension provider in December 2014. These tax credits were based on the information available to Revenue at that time.
The total tax credits of €2,090 for 2015 are less than those available to the person concerned for 2014, as the tax credit for rent paid is reduced due to the phasing out of the relevant relief introduced in the Finance Act 2011.
111. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Finance the income that can be taken into account as guaranteed lifetime income when drawing down a life insurance policy. [5209/15]
View answerI have consulted with the Central Bank of Ireland and Insurance Ireland regarding this matter. Both bodies have advised that the question of guaranteed lifetime income does not apply to life insurance policies.
112. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Finance his views on raising the age limit of 35 years to 40 years for stamp duty relief for young farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5219/15]
View answerI take it the Deputy is referring to the stamp duty relief available to farmers under the age of 35 years - generally referred to as the Young Trained Farmer Relief.
In common with a number of tax reliefs in relation to the transfer of farmland, it was introduced to encourage older farmers to transfer land to young farmers at an age when they would be active, thereby ensuring that farm land is put to more productive use than might otherwise be possible if farmed by an elderly farmer. To qualify for the relief a farmer must be under 35 years of age at the time of transfer of land and have (or obtain ) a farming qualification.
The Report of the Agri-taxation Working Group to the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Agriculture Food and the Marine published in October 2014 recommended retention of the relief in its current form. Indecon, in its 2014 Review of Agricultural Tax Incentives, stated that the potential of Irish agriculture will in Indecon's judgement only be unlocked if progressive farmers with ambition have access to agricultural land. In addition the report stated that from their research they found significant positive results from training, with a trained farmer having on average 12% higher levels of output compared with an untrained farmer.
Given that the purpose of the relief is to encourage the transfer of land to young trained farmers and as no compelling arguments have been put forward to justify increasing the age, I have no plans to increase the qualifying age from 35 years of age to 40 years.
113. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 53 of 29 January 2015, in view of the 1,200 residential properties reserved for social housing, when these were acquired by the National Asset Management Agency; when local authorities confirmed demand; the anticipated month and year of delivery to the local authorities; and if he will provide a breakdown of their location by local authority. [5229/15]
View answerUnder an initiative agreed with the then Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in 2012, NAMA has to date identified 5,753 houses and apartments held by its debtors and receivers as being available and potentially suitable for social housing. The 5,753 properties have been identified on an ongoing basis, as they have become available, since 2012.
Once NAMA identifies a property as being available, the onus for determining its suitability for social housing rests with local authorities, which, in conjunction with the Housing Agency, assess the demand for the identified houses and apartments based on criteria such as their location and on wider planning and housing policy considerations. NAMA has no role in this process. Once local authorities have confirmed demand for units, the Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are, through the Housing Agency, asked to confirm and progress their interest in leasing or purchasing the units. Local authorities also have the option of directly acquiring the properties.
I am advised that local authorities commenced assessment through the auspices of the Housing Agency of the properties made available by NAMA in 2012 and had clarified their position in respect of the vast majority of the properties by the end of 2013. However, in some instances this process is ongoing as local authorities consider the suitability of specific properties in the wider context of evolving demand, community need and sustainability.
Of the 5,753 properties made available by NAMA, local authorities have confirmed demand for 2,214, of which 1,068 have already been delivered by NAMA across 65 individual transactions. NAMA expects that the other units for which demand has been confirmed will be delivered in 2015 on the basis that local authorities and approved housing bodies contract to purchase or lease the properties.
Once demand has been confirmed for units and contracts signed there is no impediment to the early delivery of properties by NAMA's debtors and receivers or directly through NAMA's social housing SPV, NARPS. In the case of NARPS, once demand has been confirmed by local authorities NAMA acquires the related properties from its debtors and receivers for onward leasing under long-term leasing arrangements to AHBs. The establishment of NARPS is one example of the initiatives that NAMA has taken, in conjunction with the other key stakeholders in this process, to streamline the delivery of properties for social housing. NAMA has also introduced standardised leasing terms.
The Deputy will note that, in the vast majority of cases, the properties for which demand has been confirmed require substantial completion or remediation work and the resolution of compliance issues in relation to planning conditions, and regulatory standards, title issues and Multi-Unit Development Act compliance including transfer of common areas and insolvent management companies. It is NAMA's policy and practice that all properties are completed to a high standard, in compliance with all relevant planning and building regulations. In this context, NAMA has to date provided over €20m for completion works to facilitate the delivery of properties for social housing. All properties contractually accepted by the AHBs and Local Authorities by end 2014 should be occupied by mid-2015 following the completion of remaining work.
Further detail on this initiative can be found at https://www.nama.ie/social-initiatives/social-housing/.
The following table provides a detailed breakdown by local authority functional area of the properties identified by NAMA and the take up by local authorities.
Table 1: Social Housing Delivery by Local Authority
|
Local Authority |
Identified by NAMA |
Demand Confirmed by Local authorities |
Delivered |
|
Carlow Co. Co |
145 |
85 |
55 |
|
Cavan Co. Co |
49 |
17 |
0 |
|
Clare Co. Co |
210 |
50 |
7 |
|
Cork City |
419 |
95 |
53 |
|
Donegal Co. Co |
118 |
55 |
0 |
|
Drogheda Borough Council |
27 |
27 |
27 |
|
Dublin City |
813 |
409 |
336 |
|
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Co. Co |
321 |
130 |
93 |
|
Fingal Co. Co |
223 |
60 |
60 |
|
Galway City |
138 |
138 |
65 |
|
Galway Co. Co |
133 |
69 |
18 |
|
Kerry Co. Co |
183 |
57 |
15 |
|
Kildare Co. Co |
272 |
111 |
93 |
|
Kilkenny Co. Co |
167 |
71 |
5 |
|
Laois Co. Co |
170 |
78 |
0 |
|
Leitrim Co. Co |
35 |
0 |
0 |
|
Limerick City |
49 |
47 |
4 |
|
Limerick Co. Co |
86 |
31 |
12 |
|
Longford Co. Co |
31 |
3 |
0 |
|
Mayo Co. Co |
75 |
58 |
0 |
|
Meath Co. Co |
215 |
45 |
11 |
|
Monaghan Co. Co |
42 |
42 |
0 |
|
Offaly Co. Co |
79 |
51 |
29 |
|
Roscommon Co. Co |
91 |
0 |
0 |
|
Sligo Co. Co |
111 |
14 |
0 |
|
South Dublin Co. Co |
575 |
115 |
48 |
|
Tipperary Co. Co |
92 |
13 |
0 |
|
Waterford Co. Co |
72 |
46 |
8 |
|
Westmeath Co. Co |
64 |
47 |
20 |
|
Wexford Co. Co |
152 |
94 |
30 |
|
Wicklow Co. Co |
36 |
7 |
0 |
|
Grand Total |
5,753 |
2,214 |
1,068 |
114. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Finance the reason the tax liability in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare has increased in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5294/15]
View answerI have been advised by the Revenue Commissioners that details of the 2015 tax credits were issued to the person's pension provider in December 2014. These tax credits were based on the information available to Revenue at that time.
The total tax credits of €2,090 for 2015 are less than those available to the person concerned for 2014, as the tax credit for rent paid is reduced due to the phasing out of the relevant relief introduced in the Finance Act 2011.
115. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide details of National Asset Management Agency's plans to dispose of loans with a combined value of €8 billion; if he will provide the number of the agency's debtors involved; if he will provide the institutions that are currently managing the loans on the agency's behalf; if the assets underpinning the loans are generally Irish in nature or located abroad; the procedure that will be used for the disposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5298/15]
View answerAs advised by the NAMA Chief Executive in his opening address to the Public Accounts Committee in December 2014, NAMA is aiming to redeem a cumulative 80% (€24 billion) of its senior debt by the end of 2016 and hopes that it will have redeemed all of its senior debt by the end of 2018. As part of its ongoing deleveraging programme to achieve these targets, NAMA is making preparations for the sale of its smaller debtor loan portfolio and expects to appoint a loan sales adviser shortly to advise it on the sale, including how best to package the loans into smaller portfolio. NAMA aims to complete the sale process by mid-2016.
I am advised by NAMA that these loans, which have a par value of approximately €8.4 billion, are currently being managed on its behalf by AIB and Capita Asset Services. The loans relate to approximately 500 debtor connections and over 88% of the underlying property security is located in Ireland.
116. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the number of customers for whom tax relief on their private medical insurance was capped in 2014; the total number of customers claiming tax relief on private medical insurance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5360/15]
View answerI am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the information sought by the Deputy in respect of the number of customers for whom tax relief on their private medical insurance was capped will not be available until the 2014 annual returns are submitted later this year.
I am further advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the latest available figures show that an estimated 2.2 million customers claimed the relief for 2013.
117. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the number of staff due to retire from the Revenue Commissioners in the next five years; the current total number of revenue staff; the average age of staff in the Revenue Commissioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5361/15]
View answerI am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that they estimate that in the region of 1,000 staff will retire from their organisation over the next five years based on the current age profile.
Revenue's multi-annual pay ceiling for 2015-2017 provides for an annual average whole time equivalent (WTE) staff level of 5,874 while its current whole time equivalent staff number is 5,651 (6,040 headcount). The current average age of staff in Revenue is 48.
Based on current staffing levels and projected retirements Revenue will require to fill critical posts at all grades in the next five years.
Under a delegated sanction received from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform the Revenue Commissioners are obliged to fill posts in the first instance by reference to the Public Service Resource panel before considering open recruitment.
Revenue has already commenced recruiting staff from Public Appointments Service panels and from existing Revenue open recruitment panels. Using its recruitment licence from the Commission for Public Service Appointments, Revenue also plans to recruit specialist staff at Principal, Assistant Principal, Administrative Officer and Executive Officer levels.
Revenue is currently engaged in running open competitions at Assistant Principal Level for a panel of tax professionals and two ICT specialists. These competitions have been advertised nationally and on the Public Appointments Service (PAS) website. Recruitment competitions for Principal Officer (Data Analyst), Administrative Officer (Compliance and ICT) and Executive Officer (Compliance) are planned for the first six months of 2015. The number of posts to be filled will depend on critical vacancies arising, projected business needs and the number of posts that can be filled through redeployment and from internal promotion panels. Overall Revenue expects to fill around 400 posts from open competitions advertised in 2014 and 2015. All Revenue's open competitions will be advertised nationally and on the PAS website.
In my Budget Statement I signalled an increase in Revenue resources as one of the elements of the Corporate Tax Reform Road Map to reflect its role as 'competent authority' and in recognition of the many changes taking place globally in corporate tax. I fully support Revenue's proactive approach in sourcing the skilled professional and technical expertise required to allow it to deliver on its challenging role.
