Written Answers Nos. 92 - 99
92. Deputy Kate O'Connell asked the Minister for Finance if there is a domestic or European Union barrier to addressing the value-added tax rates on injections and vaccinations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20013/16]
View answerVAT rates in Ireland are subject to the constraints of EU VAT law. In general, the EU VAT Directive provides that the standard VAT rate - 23% in Ireland - must apply to the majority of goods and services. Lower VAT rates may only apply where expressly provided for in the VAT Directive or where an historic derogation applies. One such historical derogation that applies to Ireland under Article 110 of the VAT Directive is the application of the zero rate of VAT to goods and services which were subject to the zero rate of VAT on and from 1 January 1991. Oral medicines apply at the zero rate of VAT on this basis and in this respect orally consumed vaccinations avail of the zero rate of VAT.
Other non-oral vaccination, including injections, were not zero-rated on 1 January 1991 and as such a zero rate cannot now be applied to their supply. Furthermore, as there is no express provision in the VAT Directive for a lower VAT rate to be applied to vaccinations or injections, the only VAT rate that can apply to them is the standard VAT rate.
93. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Finance his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the Central Remedial Clinic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20048/16]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, I do not have ministerial responsibility for grants or funding provided to a charity.
I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that for reasons of taxpayer confidentiality it cannot comment on individual cases.
By way of general comment, Revenue is responsible for administering the Charitable Tax Exemption scheme in accordance with Section 207 and the Donations to Approved Bodies scheme, insofar as it relates to charities, in accordance with Section 848A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997.
Revenue's role in relation to Section 207 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 is restricted to ensuring that Charitable Tax Exempt status is granted to bodies or trusts that are established solely for charitable purposes and to ensuring continued compliance with the terms of the relevant governing instrument under which entitlement was originally granted. Revenue carries out ongoing reviews of charities to ensure continued compliance with the terms and conditions as set down and can withdraw the entitlement where non-compliance is uncovered.
Section 848A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 provides for a scheme of tax relief on donations to eligible charities and other approved bodies. The list of approved bodies for the purposes of Section 848A, which includes eligible charities, bodies approved for education in the arts and eligible primary, secondary and third level institutions, is available on the Revenue website at www.revenue.ie.
Revenue has no role to play in the overall regulation of charities, which is the remit of the Charities Regulator. The Revenue Commissioners administer the charitable tax exemption scheme and the tax relief scheme for donations to eligible charities and other approved bodies, which includes vetting and processing applications from bodies claiming exemption from tax on the basis that they are charities. The role also includes monitoring such bodies once they have been granted the exemption to ensure that the relevant terms and conditions continue to be fulfilled.
94. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Finance the number of appointments he has made to State boards since the move to the Public Appointments Service two years ago to date; the names of those appointed and the relevant position on each board; the names of those persons on the shortlist; the date when the shortlist was provided to him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20066/16]
View answerIn response to the Deputy's question, I have provided details of the appointments made, the names of those appointed and the relevant position on each State Board. In relation to names on shortlists created, the Public Appointments Service has advised me that it is strongly of the view that those names are covered by personal confidentiality and also that the public interest is not served by disclosing such names. Members of the public will be very reluctant to come forward into the PAS process if their names are subject to disclosure in circumstances where they are not actually being appointed.
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Name of Board |
Name of Appointee/Board Member |
Date of Appointment |
Basis of Appointment (e.g. PAS, ex officio, employee representative etc.) |
Comments |
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Central Bank Commission |
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Alan Ahearne member |
reappointed 08/03/2015 |
reappointment |
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Michael Soden member |
reappointed 01/10/2014 |
reappointment |
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Des Geraghty member |
reappointed 01/10/2014 |
reappointment |
||
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John FitzGerald member |
reappointed 01/10/2015 |
reappointment |
||
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Financial Services Ombudsman Council |
||||
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Dermott Jewell Chairperson |
Reappointed 29/10/2015 |
In view of the short term of the Council and the amalgamation of the Offices of the Pension Ombudsman and the Financial Services Ombudsman which will require the experience of the existing Council to effect, these positions were not advertised. The Public Appointment Services advertised for "Appointment to the Financial Services Ombudsman Council" in August 2015 |
The Minister for Finance made 3 new appointments (Members) and re-appointed 7 (Chairperson /6 Members) to the FSOC over the last 2 years. The Minister re-appointed the Chairperson /6 members of the FSOC on 29/10/2015 (see details below). The Minister appointed 3 new additional members to the FSOC following a PAS competition on 20/01/2016. The date the shortlist was given to the Minister was 18 January 2016. |
|
|
Paddy Leydon member |
Reappointed 29/10/2015 |
see above |
||
|
Frank Wynn member |
Reappointed 29/10/2015 |
see above |
||
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Caitriona Ni Charra member |
Reappointed 29/10/2015 |
see above |
||
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Tony Kerr member |
Reappointed 29/10/2015 |
see above |
||
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Michael Connolly member |
Reappointed 29/10/2015 |
see above |
||
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Elizabeth Walsh member |
Reappointed 29/10/2015 |
see above |
||
|
Valerie Bowens member |
Appointed 20/01/2016 |
PAS |
||
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Deborah Reidy member |
Appointed 20/01/2016 |
PAS |
||
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Ken Murnaghan member |
Appointed 20/01/2016 |
PAS |
||
|
Irish Fiscal Advisory Council |
||||
|
Ide Kearney |
11/03/2015 |
PAS process under guidelines on appointments to State Boards |
Names of those appointed and relevant position: Íde Kearney, Michael G. Tutty, Seamus Coffey - all Council Members Date short-lists provided to Minister: 25 February 2015 (following which Íde Kearney was appointed); 23 September 2015 (following which Michael G. Tutty & Seamus Coffey were appointed). |
|
|
Michael G Tutty |
24/09/2015; term ended 31/12/2015; reappointed 01/01/2016 |
PAS process under guidelines on appointments to State Boards |
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|
Seamus Coffey |
01/01/2016 |
PAS process under guidelines on appointments to State Boards |
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|
National Asset Management Agency |
||||
|
Frank Daly Chairman |
Reappointed 22/12/2014 |
Ministerial appointment |
Re-appointment of Chairman in Dec 2014 was made by the Minister as permitted under the NAMA Act (i.e. PAS process did not apply). |
|
|
National Treasury Management Agency (The Board) |
||||
|
Willie Walsh Chair |
18/12/2014 |
Ministerial appointment |
Regarding the appointments to the NTMA Board on 18 December 2014 a shortlist was submitted to the Minister on 18 December 2014. |
|
|
Mary Walsh member |
18/12/2014 |
Ministerial appointment |
Ministerial appointment |
|
|
Susan Webb member |
18/12/2014 |
Ministerial appointment |
||
|
Martin Murphy member |
18/12/2014 |
Following public advertisement process |
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|
Maeve Carton member |
18/12/2014 |
Ministerial appointment |
||
|
Brendan McDonagh member |
18/12/2014 |
Ministerial appointment |
||
|
Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland |
||||
|
Ann Nolan (Member) |
Interim Appointment in 10/09/2014 and confirmed appointment 12/03/2015 |
Ministerial appointment |
||
|
Nick Ashmore (Member) |
Interim Appointment in 10/09/2014; Confirmed appointment 12/03/2015 |
Ministerial appointment |
||
|
Tom McAleese (Member) |
24/03/2015 |
PAS Process |
||
|
Barbara Cotter (Member) |
18/03/2015 |
PAS Process |
||
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AJ Noonan (Member) |
18/03/2015 |
PAS Process |
||
|
Eilis Quinlan (Member) |
18/03/2015 |
PAS Process |
||
|
Richard Pelly (Member) |
18/03/2015 |
PAS Process |
||
|
Rosheen McGuckian (Member) |
27/03/2015 |
PAS Process |
||
|
John Corrigan (Chairman) |
Interim Appointment in 10/09/2014; Resigned 12/01/2015 |
|||
|
Conor O'Kelly (Chairman) |
Interim Appointment in 12/01/2015; Confirmed appointment 12/03/2015 |
95. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide information on the number of persons of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds currently working in his Department and in other public service organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20436/16]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, the Civil Service does not collect data pertaining to the ethnic and cultural background of its currently serving staff. In relation to bodies under the aegis of my Department such information is not generally available. Where the ethnic and cultural background of individuals may be evident within a body under my Department's remit due to the small numbers working for the body, I am of the view, in keeping with Data Protection legislation, that it would be inappropriate to release such information.
However, the Civil Service is strongly committed to equality of opportunity in all its employment practices. As an employer, the Civil Service must fulfil its obligations under equality legislation, particularly the Employment Equality Act 1998. While recognising that people are different, employment practices must ensure that these differences do not lead to unlawful discrimination in the workplace.
The Civil Service Diversity Policy was launched in 2002 and reviewed in 2006. Together with the Civil Service Gender Equality Policy, these policies were designed to ensure that the Civil Service put equality at the centre of its approach to human resource management.
There is a considerable body of legislation and case law dealing with equality in the workplace. In common with all employers, the Civil Service is responsible in law for upholding equality legislation. The Diversity Policy aims to ensure that all civil servants and their customers, both internal and external, can be confident that no one will receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, age, race, religion, disability, or membership of the Traveller community and throughout their working lives. Civil Servants can be assured of equality of participation in their Department, regardless of gender, marital or family status, sexual orientation, religious belief, age, disability, race or membership of the Traveller community.
As an employer, the Civil Service will strive to achieve real equality of opportunity by continuously monitoring its employment practices to ensure that they do not perpetuate existing inequalities.
Responsibility for the implementation of equality of opportunity lies with the Head of each Department.
96. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the progress with a school (details supplied) including when he will complete this much needed and awaited project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19916/16]
View answerThe school building project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Louth County Council. The project is at Stage 1 of the building process which is the preliminary design stage.
When the stage 1 process has been satisfactorily completed by the Design Team, my Department expects to be in a position to allow the project to move through the remaining stages of the architectural planning process and onwards to construction.
97. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of additional funding for a school (details supplied), including when he will make a decision in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19968/16]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers was allocated funding to build a stand-alone classroom under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme 2014.
Extra funding was subsequently approved to enable the school authority to convert its GP room to a classroom while the classroom is being constructed. These conversion works were completed in December 2015.
The school more recently submitted an application for additional funding in respect of traffic management works. This was approved, in principle, subject to tender costs. The school authority was advised to submit a copy of the Tender Report for final approval. The Tender Report has now been received and is currently under review. The school will be advised of the Department's decision when this review has been completed.
98. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the points entry requirement for colleges in 2017 will change in accordance with the new points system introduced for students doing their leaving certificate in 2017, given that there can be significant differences while adding up the new points system and the current system and if this system will favour all students' ability. [19983/16]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, from 2017 a new grading scheme for the Leaving Certificate, which will reduce the number of grade bands from 14 to 8 at each level will be introduced.
Under the revised scale, the maximum points available in each subject is 100, and the overall maximum points available, excluding Bonus Points for Maths, is 600. This is the same as the points available under the current scale.
All students applying through the CAO from 2017 will be awarded points under the new scale, no matter when they sat the Leaving Certificate.
Because of the non-linear design and other features of the new points scale, all students regardless of which level they sit, will on average receive slightly less points than under the current system. This means that it is likely that, on average, the points required for entry to particular courses will also be slightly lower from 2017.
However, it is not expected that this change will be out of line with the natural variation of required points which occurs from year to year in any case.
The new points system has been specifically designed to fairly reward scholastic achievement and I can assure you that very extensive and detailed modelling and testing has been conducted by the higher education institutions, with the assistance of both the CAO and other technical experts, to ensure that the revised scale is fair and equitable to all students.
Further detailed information on the new Leaving certificate grading system can be found at www.transition.ie.
99. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding a bus service; if he will provide reassurance in this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19989/16]
View answerIn general, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann.
The Deputy will be aware that a minimum number of 10 eligible children residing in a distinct locality, as determined by Bus Éireann, are required before consideration may be given to the retention of school transport service.
In this regard, Bus Éireann has advised that the number of eligible children who have applied for school transport for the 2016/17 school year has fallen below this minimum number requirement and as a result the service will not operate for the next school year. Families of eligible children, for whom there is no school transport service available, are eligible for the remote area grant towards the cost of making private transport arrangements.
The terms of the scheme are applied equitably on a national basis.
