Written Answers Nos. 115-123
115. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the position regarding a local property tax payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11019/15]
View answerI am advised by Revenue that there are eight different payment methods available to assist property owners in meeting their Local Property Tax (LPT) obligations in a way that best suits individual circumstances.
The payment methods include a number of phased options that facilitate payment of LPT in equal amounts over the course of the year rather than having to meet the liability in a single payment. These options are, Deduction at Source from salary or pension, monthly Direct Debits through banks and certain credit union accounts and weekly/monthly payments through four approved Payment Service Providers. The four approved Payment Service Providers are An Post, Payzone, Omnivend and PayPoint.
In regard to the specific case to which the Deputy refers, a reminder notification in respect of the 2015 LPT liability recently issued to the person in question because he did not pay the amount due or confirm his preferred payment method to Revenue by the required date.
However, Revenue subsequently had direct contact with the person and a member of the LPT team assisted him in setting up a suitable phased payment arrangement through one of the Payment Service Providers.
Revenue has assured me that because the person in question has now confirmed his payment preference in respect of his 2015 LPT obligations there will be no need for any further compliance action.
116. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide an update on the initiative by the Revenue Commissioners to ensure tax compliance among pensioners in 2012 following the 150,000 letters issued by the Revenue Commissioners in early January 2012; the number of the 150,000 pensioners who had an additional tax liability; if the budget day estimate of an additional €45 million revenue in 2012 from the initiative was accurate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11023/15]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware from my reply to Question No. 121 on 19 December 2013 that the Revenue Commissioners have previously confirmed that approximately €65 million in extra tax has been secured for the Exchequer from the taxpayers concerned for 2012.
By way of update, I am also advised by the Commissioners that as a result of their compliance programme on taxpayers who had not previously declared their Department of Social Protection payments for the years prior to 2012, an additional liability of approximately €28.5 million in tax, interest and penalties has been secured from the highest risk cases.
117. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance his views on the fall in construction activity, as highlighted by the February purchasing managers' index figures; his further views that this is related to the recent introduction of rules relating to mortgage lending; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11026/15]
View answerI am aware of the recently released Purchasers Managers Index (PMI) figures for February. The PMI for February 2015 reported a figure of 52.0 for total activity in the construction sector. As any reading in excess of 50 indicates expansion, the index points towards a slight increase in activity compared to January 2015. However, while the index indicates that the sector is expanding, the rate of expansion has slowed compared with previous monthly surveys.
The index is composed of three sub-sectors: housing; commercial; and civil engineering. While the three sub-sector indices were weaker than the previous month, only the civil engineering sub-sector contracted in February. As the Central Bank's macro prudential mortgage rules apply only to residential mortgage lending, this suggests that the weaker PMI figure for February is not being driven by the mortgage lending rules.
The PMI data should not be viewed in isolation. The underlying trend has been one of recovery in the construction sector. Indicators such as the most recent Quarterly National Household Survey from the Central Statistics Office show a year-on-year increase in construction sector employment of 13,000 in the final quarter of 2014.
As the Deputy will be aware, Construction 2020 is the whole-of-government strategy to address issues that might impede the proper functioning of the property market, and aims to support increased supply in the wider housing market. The Strategy involves ensuring that any critical bottlenecks that might prevent the sector in meeting residential and non-residential demand are addressed through 75 individual time-bound actions. For example, last week my Department organised a conference on financing options for construction and development to facilitate dialogue and mutual understanding between developers and debt and equity providers. This will assist in the development of a sustainable financing model for the sector, thereby contributing to enhanced supply over time.
118. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the yield from betting duty in each year from 2010 to 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11027/15]
View answerI am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that a wide range of statistical information is available on the Commissioners' new, enhanced Statistics web page: http://www.revenue.ie/en/about/statistics/index.html.
In relation to the Deputy's question, detailed information on Excise receipts by commodity can be found at http://www.revenue.ie/en/about/statistics/net-receipts-by-commodity.pdf. Data for 2014 will be published in due course, 2013 is the most recent year for which detailed data are available.
I am further informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the yield from betting duty in each year from 2010 to 2014 is shown in the table below.
|
Betting Receipts |
€ |
|
2010 |
30,919,211 |
|
2011 |
27,096,522 |
|
2012 |
27,087,826 |
|
2013 |
25,421,396 |
|
2014 (Prov) |
26,161,214 |
The figures shown for 2014 are provisional at this time and may be subject to revision.
119. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if he will encourage lenders to allow borrowers who are moving home to be able to keep their tracker mortgage rate; the number of cases in which banks facilitated this in 2013 and 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11028/15]
View answerThe decision to advance credit, and the terms on which such credit is advanced, is a commercial decision for individual lenders. In that regard, there are no particular requirements to allow or prevent banks from allowing borrowers who are moving to keep their tracker mortgage rate. I am informed by the Central Bank that a number of banks currently offer various tracker mover products but it does not have data on this.
120. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance in the case of each of the State-supported banks, the amount of capital it sets aside for losses in respect of residential mortgage lending and buy-to-let mortgages; the amount of this capital that has been used to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11029/15]
View answerAll relevant disclosures in relation to each bank's residential mortgage portfolios are available in the risk management sections of their financial reports. For information the links to the financial reports are set out below with references to the relevant page numbers.
Bank of Ireland (pages 52 to 84)
http://www.bankofireland.com/fs/doc/wysiwyg/boi-preliminary-statement-dec-2014.pdf
AIB (pages 51 to 156)
http://investorrelations.aib.ie/content/dam/aib/investorrelations/docs/resultscentre/annualreport/aib_afr_2014.pdf
Permanent TSB (Financial Risk note 33, pages 128 to 159)
http://www.permanenttsbgroup.ie/~/media/Files/I/Irish-Life-And-Permanent/Attachments/pdf/2014/2014-full-year-report.pdf.
121. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the number of complaints received by the Financial Services Ombudsman regarding the sale of whole-of-life insurance policies over the past five years; the number of complaints upheld; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11041/15]
View answerThe Financial Services Ombudsman is independent in the carrying out of his duties to investigate, mediate and adjudicate complaints about the conduct of regulated financial service providers. I, as Minister for Finance, have no role in the day to day workings of the office of the Ombudsman or in the decisions which he takes.
A "Whole of Life" policy pays a specified amount on death provided that premiums are paid up until the death of the policyholder. In response to previous similar Parliamentary Questions, the Central Bank advised that premiums for such policies are not fixed and can increase over the duration of the policy.
The Office of the Financial Services Ombudsman has informed me that it does not have a product category on its Case Management System which refers to Whole of Life Insurance Policies only. The Ombudsman has advised that he collects data in relation to all Life policies and does not differentiate between them. For this reason, it is not possible to provide the numbers of complaints upheld in relation to this particular category of insurance. However, the Ombudsman does have limited information on Whole of Life policies and he was able to provide details on the number of new complaints received over the last five years:
2010 - 168
2011 - 152
2012 - 218
2013 - 193
2014 - 105
The Ombudsman has confirmed that no findings in relation to mis-sale of Whole of Life policies have been issued by his Office in the past five years.
122. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the process for applying for a boat licence for a local boat owner to provide service to the Skellig visitor centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10774/15]
View answerThe Office of Public Works (OPW) is currently preparing a competition process for a new Boat Permit at Skellig which will be publicly advertised this year.
The competition will be advertised extensively in the local press and on the OPW Website and any party who wishes can apply.
All applications will be afforded due consideration under the criteria as set out in the application process.
123. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the Office of Public Works has been asked to compile a list of State-owned land and buildings to be used to provide child care facilities; when this will be completed and published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10759/15]
View answerThe Commissioners of Public Works have not been requested to compile a list of State-owned land and buildings to be used to provide child care facilities.
