Written Answers Nos. 132-145
132. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to attend a planned meeting between EU foreign affairs ministers and the Israeli Prime Minister which is due to take place in Brussels on 11 December 2017 (details supplied); his views on such a meeting taking place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51886/17]
View answerEU High Representative Mogherini has invited Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel to meet with EU Foreign Ministers at a breakfast meeting on 11 December, taking advantage of the fact that many Foreign Ministers may have arrived for the Foreign Affairs Council which will follow later that day.
The Middle East Peace Process is a very important issue for the EU. Ireland supports efforts to reach a comprehensive peace agreement to the Middle East conflict, and this is a priority for me personally. I have met with the US Middle East team to encourage their work, and to underline what the EU sees as the key parameters for an agreement. I have also taken an active role on this issue in the Foreign Affairs Council, urging my colleagues to continue our work to help preserve and create the political and physical space in which the two state solution can be achieved. I visited the region earlier this year and met with representatives of both parties, and I hope to do so again in the coming months.
The possibility of inviting both Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas to Brussels for such discussions has been under consideration for some time. I understand that President Abbas’s availability to meet with EU Foreign Ministers at an early date is currently being explored.
This meeting will be an opportunity both to hear from Prime Minister Netanyahu, and to underline to him key EU messages and concerns about the Middle East. Subject to other commitments, I would expect to attend.
133. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the funding provided by his Department to each member of a group (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51437/17]
View answerUnder the Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices Act, 1938 as amended most recently by the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Act, 2014, and the Electoral Act 1997 certain payments are made from the Central Fund to political parties. These are laid out below in tabular format. The payments are contingent on the request/approval of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in accordance with the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 2011.
Apart from these payments, no funding was provided from the Department of Finance to the organisations in question.
|
Social Democrats |
2016 |
2017 |
Total |
|
Payments under Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices Act, 1938 as amended most recently by the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Act, 2014 |
€165,152.42 |
€177,012 |
€342,164.42 |
|
Payments to qualified parties under section 17 of Electoral Act 1997 |
€183,580.72 |
€308,078 |
€491,658.72 |
|
TOTAL |
€348,733.14 |
€485,090 |
€833,823.14 |
|
Socialist Party |
2016 |
2017 |
Total |
|
Payments under Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices Act, 1938 as amended most recently by the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Act, 2014 |
€13,540.89 |
0 |
€13,540.89 |
|
Payments to qualified parties under section 17 of Electoral Act 1997 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
TOTAL |
€13,540.89 |
0 |
€13,540.89 |
|
People Before Profit Alliance |
2016 |
2017 |
Total |
|
Payments under Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices Act, 1938 as amended most recently by the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Act, 2014 |
€217,194.59 |
€364,487.48 |
€581,682.07 |
|
Payments to qualified parties under section 17 of Electoral Act 1997 |
€350,100.19 |
€321,840 |
€671,940.19 |
|
TOTAL |
€567,294.78 |
€686,327.48 |
€1,253,622.26 |
|
The Labour Party |
2016 |
2017 |
Total |
|
Payments under Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices Act, 1938 as amended most recently by the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Act, 2014 |
€126,886.83 |
€126,973.8 |
€253,860.63 |
|
Payments to qualified parties under section 17 of Electoral Act 1997 |
€705,157.07 |
€397,835.4 |
€1,102,992.47 |
|
TOTAL |
€832,043.9 |
€524,809.2 |
€1,356,853.1 |
134. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Finance if persons (details supplied) applying for the contributory or non-contributory State pension are ineligible if their taxes to Revenue are not fully up to date with the Revenue Commissioners when it is applied for as a result of the Finance Act 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51465/17]
View answerI am advised by Revenue that the matter of eligibility for the contributory or non-contributory State pension is determined by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) and not one in which Revenue has a direct involvement. However, I am advised by Revenue that eligibility for a State pension may be impacted where there is unpaid Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI).
135. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance the number of credit unions operating under lending restrictions; the number of credit unions with restrictions on lending to persons; the aggregate monthly lending in bands of €10,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51475/17]
View answerI have been informed by the Central Bank that in February 2015 a lending restriction review initiative was commenced, whereby credit unions subject to a lending restriction that are satisfied they have made the necessary improvements and have embedded these improvements in robust risk sensitive lending practices, could apply for a review of their lending restriction. The closing date for receipt of applications to review lending restrictions under this initiative was 30 September 2015.
The individual credit union lending restrictions in place are reviewed on a regular basis to determine whether they are still set at appropriate levels. The Central Bank has advised me that 20% of active credit unions (55 in total) are currently operating under lending restrictions compared with 52% of active credit unions at the start of the review process. 10 of the 55 credit unions have a monthly maximum lending restriction and 53 of the 55 credit unions have a maximum individual loan size restriction. In the majority of the relevant cases, the maximum individual loan size is in excess of €10,000 as detailed in the table below.
|
Lending Restriction on Individual Loans |
Number of Credit Unions |
|
10,000 |
6 |
|
>10,000 and 20,000 |
25 |
|
>20,000 and 30,000? |
16 |
|
>30,000 and 40,000 |
3 |
|
>40,000 and 50,000? |
2 |
|
>50,000 and 60,000 |
- |
|
>60,000 and 70,000 |
- |
|
>70,000 and 80,000 |
- |
|
>80,000 and 90,000 |
- |
|
>90,000 and 100,000? |
1 |
|
Total |
53 |
Lending restrictions in credit unions are a matter for the Registrar of Credit Unions at the Central Bank, who, as the independent regulator for credit unions, acts to support the prudential soundness of individual credit unions, to maintain sector stability and to protect the savings of credit union members.
136. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Finance if he will request the Revenue Commissioners to revisit a penalty imposed on a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51557/17]
View answerI am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that on foot of a compliance intervention undertaken by them following receipt of VAT 3 returns, it was established that an additional tax liability was due from the school concerned. In accordance with the provisions of The Code of Practice for Revenue Audit and other Compliance Interventions, interest of €2,613 was due in the case in addition to the additional tax and both tax and interest has been paid.
Revenue is satisfied that the non compliance in this instance arose from innocent error and on that basis a penalty in not being pursued.
137. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Finance the investigations he has undertaken or plans to take on the use by a company (details supplied) that has actively engaged in tax avoidance activities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51561/17]
View answerI am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that having regard to taxpayer confidentiality obligations under section 851A of the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997, I am unable to comment on the specific case referred to by the Deputy.
138. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Finance his plans to investigate the role of a company (details supplied) that has received public funds as part of public private partnerships and revealed to have engaged in active tax avoidance schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51562/17]
View answerI am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that having regard to taxpayer confidentiality obligations under section 851A of the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997, I am unable to comment on the specific case referred to by the Deputy.
139. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Finance his plans to address the high rates of interest on variable mortgages in comparison with the rest of Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51570/17]
View answerI have been advised by the Central Bank of Ireland (Central Bank) that it does not have a statutory role to prescribe the rates that mortgage lenders charge on their loans.
A healthy commercial banking system that is in a position to provide finance to customers and is resilient to economic and financial market shocks needs to be able to generate sustainable profits over the long term - for example, sufficient profit levels to absorb credit losses over the credit cycle while still generating capital. In Ireland, the mis-pricing of risks in historical lending continues to be a significant contributor to weak profitability, as evidenced by the continued high level of non-performing loans, prevalence of very low yielding tracker mortgages, and low net interest margins.
Furthermore, the residential mortgage market comprises, inter alia, fixed interest rate, loan to value managed variable rate mortgages, trackers, restructured mortgages of various types, etc. Therefore, the residential mortgage market cannot be assessed by only looking at standard variable rate mortgages, and any assessment would need to consider the large number of different factors that influence interest rate pricing.
The legacy issues, together with other input costs to variable rate mortgage pricing were outlined in a paper provided by the Central Bank to the Minister for Finance in May 2015. These include higher costs from credit losses, higher funding costs, higher levels of capital resulting from regulatory changes, higher required capital per euro risk given the severe loss experience in the crisis, higher operating costs per euro of loans given falling balance sheets and the fixed costs base that comes with the infrastructure requirements of large retail banks.
The Central Bank requires that all mortgages are advertised and sold in accordance with the requirements of financial services legislation (including Central Bank Codes), and that consumers who choose a given mortgage product (or to switch to a new product) are treated in accordance with these requirements in the context of the product they have chosen.
Additionally, the Central Bank has carried out research, which showed the scope for borrowers to save money by switching mortgages and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has launched a mortgage switching tool for consumers (which itself notes the findings of the Central Bank research of cases where borrowers could make savings).
The Central Bank releases monthly retail interest rate data (Tables B1.1 - B2.1). These statistics satisfy reporting requirements as laid down in Regulation (EC) No 1072/2013 of 24 September 2013 (ECB/2013/34) as amended by Regulation of the ECB of 8 July 2014 (ECB/2014/30), concerning statistics on interest rates applied by monetary financial institutions (MFIs) to deposits and loans vis-à-vis households and non-financial corporations. The most recent statistics are available on centralbank.ie.
In addition, following a public consultation process, on 21 July 2016, the Central Bank announced the introduction of a number of increased protections for variable rate mortgage holders. The enhanced measures, which are provided for in an Addendum to the Consumer Protection Code 2012, and became effective on 1 February 2017, require lenders to explain to borrowers how their variable interest rates have been set, including in the event of an increase. The measures also improve the level of information required to be provided to borrowers on variable rates about other mortgage products their lender provides which could provide savings for the borrower and signpost the borrower to the CCPC’s mortgage switching tool.
In late 2016, the Central Bank commissioned research into consumer perceptions and attitudes to mortgage switching, as well as the experience of those who had switched. The Central Bank conducted the research to help identify areas where further action by the Central Bank could assist borrowers who are considering switching their mortgage. The Central Bank published the report on the research findings in April 2017. The report contained several positive findings from consumers who had switched their mortgage. However, it also highlighted the need for greater transparency for consumers, both about the potential savings they could make by switching and the switching process itself.
In August 2017, the Central Bank published a Consultation Paper proposing new measures which would enhance the framework of protections for mortgage holders. In that consultation the Central Bank proposed new measures to require lenders to:
- inform consumers about other available mortgage options that could save them money and about the impact of mortgage-related incentives;
- help consumers to compare their existing mortgage to other mortgage options;
- provide consumers with standardised switching information; and
- follow a time-bound switching process.
The consultation period has now ended, and the Central Bank is now analysing the responses it received and is considering next steps.
140. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Finance if the case of a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51611/17]
View answerLocal Property Tax (LPT) is payable on the market value of residential properties at 1 May 2013. The 2013 valuation is relevant until the next LPT ‘valuation date’, which is 1 November 2019 and is unaffected by any changes in property prices or any repairs/alterations that take place to the property during this period.
Revenue has confirmed that the person in question filed her statutory LPT Return in 2013 confirming ‘Valuation Band’ 2 (€100k to €150k) in respect of her property and payment has been made by her each year on that basis up to and including 2017.
If the person now considers the 2013 self-assessed valuation to be too high she can apply directly to Revenue’s LPT Branch to have it amended downwards. The application must include supporting evidence setting out why the original valuation is thought to be excessive. The supporting evidence should include:
- copy of a professional valuation at 1 May 2013 or,
- information on property sales for comparable properties in the local area around 1 May 2013, for example from the Residential Property Price Register at www.propertypriceregister.ie or,
- details of advertised house prices for comparable properties in the area around 1 May 2013, for example from www.daft.ie or www.myhome.ie or,
- documented information on any house prices survey in the area reflecting values around 1 May 2013.
Should the person require any further clarification in regard to the required supporting documentation or if she has any other queries she should contact the LPT team at direct telephone number 065 6849081 who will be happy to assist her.
141. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Finance if personnel employed by the State Claims Agency branch of the National Treasury Management Agency are eligible for bonus payments; and if so, the way in which these bonuses are structured and attained. [51615/17]
View answerThe National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) has informed me that it operates a discretionary performance-related payments scheme for eligible employees, which includes staff assigned to the State Claims Agency. The scheme rewards exceptional performance having regard to the employee’s own performance, the performance of the employee’s area of responsibility and the overall performance of the NTMA. Performance-related payments are made in accordance with parameters approved by the Agency’s non-executive Remuneration Committee. The overall amount of performance related payments made in respect of any year is also subject to the approval of the Remuneration Committee.
142. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Finance his views on the recent proposals outlined by a group (details supplied) on the establishment of a new customs arrangement between Britain and the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51698/17]
View answerThe precise customs arrangements that will apply after Brexit will depend on the outcome of negotiations between the EU and UK. Evidently the closest trading relationship between the UK and EU is best for Ireland. Ireland’s position is that a future EU-UK Free Trade Agreement should be comprehensive and ambitious and as wide as possible in its scope, while ensuring a level playing field and protecting the integrity of the Single Market.
The Article 50 negotiations between the EU and the UK are proceeding on the basis of the phased approach set out in the European Council Guidelines of 29 April 2017. Ireland fully supports this approach, which foresees that discussions on the future EU-UK relationship, including trade, will get underway as soon as sufficient progress has been made on the EU’s key priorities under the withdrawal process – notably citizens’ rights, the UK’s financial settlement and the Irish specific issues. The European Council is due to assess whether sufficient progress has been made on the key priorities at the December meeting of the Council.
As part of the Department of Finance’s contingency planning, work is ongoing and continues to examine all possible scenarios and challenges, which also includes analysis of external analysis and reports. In that regard, I welcome the contribution of the British-Irish Chamber to the debate. The British-Irish Chamber of Commerce is the leading business group representing the interest of businesses with interests in Britain and Ireland, and is an important voice to be heard in the context of solutions to the unique challenges facing Ireland and Northern Ireland.
143. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Finance the number of freedom of information requests received by his Department to date in 2017; the number that were fully or partially granted; and the number of such requests that were refused. [51852/17]
View answerThe Department of Finance received 383 Freedom of Information requests in 2017 up to 1 December 2017.
334 have been closed, of which:
- 63 were granted in full,
- 120 were part granted,
- 82 were refused (including refused on the basis that no relevant records were identified),
- 43 were withdrawn or handled outside FoI, and
- 26 were transferred.
49 requests are currently open and being processed.
144. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Finance the number of freedom of information requests received by his Department to date in 2017; the number for which consideration was completed within four weeks of the receipt of the request; and the number for which the period of consideration was extended by up to four weeks in view of the fact the necessary resources to complete the request within the original timeframe were not available, in tabular form. [51869/17]
View answerThe Department of Finance received 383 Freedom of Information requests in 2017 up to 1 December 2017.
334 have been closed, of which:-
- 259 were completed within the due date, taking account of suspension of the period of consideration for payment of deposits, third party consultation, or clarification of scope
- 75 were completed outside the due date
145. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Finance the annual cost profile of each public private partnership project; and the balance between construction and maintenance costs for each project in view of the existing commitments of €9.6 billion for existing public private partnerships to be distributed over the remaining years of the contracts. [51882/17]
View answerThe Department of Finance has no public private partnership projects and is not responsible for Government public private partnership policy.
