Jim O'Callaghan
Question:298. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Finance the status of the operation of the debt warehousing scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22196/21]
View answerDepartmental Schemes
Questions (298)
Written answers
The Debt Warehousing Scheme remains available to support businesses that are experiencing tax payment difficulties arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme applies to VAT debts, PAYE (Employer) debts, self-assessed income tax amounts (balance of 2019 income tax liability and 2020 preliminary tax) and Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) overpayments. Approximately 85,000 businesses are currently availing of the scheme covering €2.3 billion in tax debt.
The scheme allows businesses to ‘park’ these debts on an interest free basis for 12 months following the resumption of trading. At the end of the 12-month interest free period, the warehoused debt may be paid in full without incurring an interest charge or paid through a tailored phased payment arrangement at a significantly reduced interest rate of 3% per annum. This compares to the standard rate of 8% or 10% per annum that would otherwise apply to such debts.
Businesses that availed of the Debt Warehousing Scheme at the start of the pandemic and subsequently resumed trading for a period during 2020 before being further restricted can recommence availing of the support. As such, they can warehouse relevant tax debts from the beginning of the initial lockdown, including in respect of the period/s during which they were trading between lockdowns. Revenue has communicated directly with those who previously availed of the scheme to inform them of its continued availability.
Access to the scheme is automatic for SMEs and by agreement with larger businesses that have been negatively impacted by the pandemic. A key requirement of the scheme is that businesses continue to file all relevant tax returns for the restricted trading period(s), so that the tax debt can be quantified and warehoused.
Departmental Schemes
Questions (299)
Pádraig O'Sullivan
Question:299. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Finance his plans to extend the stay and spend scheme beyond April 2021; the alternative options being considered to the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21596/21]
View answerWritten answers
The Deputy will recall that last week, in response to a question from him along similar lines, I provided an answer to the first part of his query. As noted by him, the Stay and Spend Tax Credit scheme is scheduled to terminate at the end of this month. While I am very mindful of the significant difficulties that remain to be faced by the hospitality sector, I have made the point previously that the broad interests of taxpayers also need to be taken into account and that these may not be best served by extending the scheme over the summer months in circumstances where we will all be staying at home and hopefully holidaying in Ireland. This is particularly the case when other very significant support measures will remain in place. Taking these factors into account, it may be more appropriate to take stock again in a number of months' time and assess if the position needs to be reconsidered at that point.
As regards the second part of the Deputy's question, my Department is not examining any alternative to the Stay and Spend Tax Credit Scheme at the present time.
Departmental Expenditure
Questions (300)
Catherine Murphy
Question:300. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance the amount spent by his Department on public relations advice and media advice since January 2020 to date in 2021; and the companies engaged for this advice in tabular form. [22273/21]
View answerWritten answers
The amount spent by my Department on public relations advice and media advice since January 2020 to date in 2021; and the companies engaged for this advice is outlined in the following table: -
|
Date Commenced
|
Amount in € |
Companies Engaged |
|
January 2020 (payment is for January 2020 – contract ran from August 2019 with payments being made monthly) |
€4,879 |
Daniel J. Edelman Ireland Limited |
The Department's policy regarding employing external groups is to follow the relevant public procurement rules and procedures.
Departmental Expenditure
Questions (301)
Catherine Murphy
Question:301. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance the amount spent by his Department on advertising and public messaging in print, broadcast and online since January 2020 to date in 2021; and the companies engaged to assist with placing the advertisements and the companies advertised with in tabular form. [22291/21]
View answerWritten answers
The amount spent by my Department on advertising and public messaging in print, broadcast and online since January 2020 to date in 2021 is outlined in the following table: -
|
Date Commenced |
Amount In € |
Companies Engaged |
Description Of Services:
|
|
November 2020 |
€673.61 [vat exclusive] €815.07 [vat inclusive] |
Mediavest Limited T/A Spark Foundry |
Payment for media notices inviting interested parties to make submissions in relation to the preparation of the Department’s Fourth Irish Language Scheme for the period 2021 – 2024. |
My Department's policy regarding employing external groups is to follow the relevant public procurement rules and procedures.
My Department also facilitates the “Switch Your Bank” campaign as part of its remit to ensure that consumers are protected within the financial sector in Ireland and to ensure a healthy level of competition. This is a public awareness campaign as part of a range of competition measures agreed with the European Commission to raise awareness and promote customer switching of financial products. The campaign is funded by AIB and Permanent TSB, and the Department manages it on their behalf as part of the restructuring of the banks. The costs are fully recoupable from AIB and Permanent TSB in the context of their restructuring plans.
The costs for this campaign were €2,066.40 in 2020 and €3,018.95 to date in 2021 (both VAT inclusive).
Tax Code
Questions (302)
Pearse Doherty
Question:302. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the estimated revenue generated by introducing a 40% rate for capital gains tax in circumstances in which the person making the disposal has an annual income in excess of €500,000, €600,000, €700,000 and €800,000, respectively. [22305/21]
View answerWritten answers
I am advised by Revenue that the estimated revenue generated from a rate of 40% on capital gains for individuals with various income thresholds is as set out in the table below. The yield shown is based on income and Capital Gains Tax (CGT) returns for the tax year 2018, the latest year for which full income information is available. The estimates assume no change in behaviour by individuals resulting from the increase in the tax rate and does not include any yield in respect of companies.
|
Income threshold € |
Proposed 40% CGT Rate - Additional Yield €m |
|
500,000 |
36 |
|
600,000 |
31 |
|
700,000 |
26 |
|
800,000 |
22 |
Question No. 303 answered with Question No. 297.
Departmental Transport
Questions (304)
Darren O'Rourke
Question:304. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Finance the estimated cost of replacing State vehicles which are owned by his Department or agencies under his remit with hybrid or electric models; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22565/21]
View answerWritten answers
I wish to inform the Deputy that my Department does not own any vehicles.
There are 17 bodies under the aegis of my Department, 3 of which own vehicles. These are the Central Bank, the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners.
The Central Bank has provided a high level estimate of €175k to replace 5 petrol and diesel vehicles with hybrid/electric models.
The NTMA owns 14 vehicles. Based on an average estimated cost, inclusive of the SEAI electric vehicle grant, the cost of replacing the vehicles owned by the NTMA with a mix of electric and hybrid vehicles would be €494k.
I am advised by Revenue that it currently operates a fleet of 303 vehicles, which are used for a wide range of purposes. Of these, it is considered that 36 vehicles (trucks, scanners, motorbikes, tractor units, etc.) would not be suitable to be replaced with electric/hybrid models. Regarding the remaining 267 vehicles, based on the unit cost of electric vehicles in the current Office of Government Procurement (OGP) framework, the direct cost of replacing them would be between €10.63m and €11.87m inclusive of VAT, depending on the mix of vehicles required. In addition, the cost of installing charging points in Revenue offices would need to be added to determine the full overall cost.
It should be noted that there is currently no OGP framework available for hybrid vehicles.
Departmental Staff
Questions (305)
Gerald Nash
Question:305. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if a public competition will be run under the TLAC process to select candidates for the position of Secretary General of his Department; if he chooses to select a Secretary General outside of public competition process the reason he plans to depart from that process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21136/21]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy is aware, the role of Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is pivotal in terms of budgetary and expenditure policy and central to the overall Government reform agenda.
I intend to fill the position of Secretary General in my Department via an open competition to be undertaken by the Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC) with the assistance of the Public Appointments Service.
TLAC operates under the Code of Practice issued by the Commission for Public Service Appointments in accordance with the principles of merit, consistency, accountability, probity, best practice and professional confidentiality.
I expect the process to commence shortly.
Pensions Data
Questions (306)
Dara Calleary
Question:306. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount paid by the State in 2018, 2019 and 2020 to financial companies involved in managing State pension funds in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21392/21]
View answerWritten answers
I and my Department are responsible for the civil service pension schemes, which cover staff in established and unestablished civil service positions and State Industrial posts It would be a matter for those sectoral authorities, including relevant Ministers, to supply such information as may be available in respect of the wider public service.
With respect to the civil service pension schemes, these are funded on a “pay as you go” (PAYG) basis though Vote 12 ( Superannuation and Retired Allowances) with the annual costs of pension being met in the relevant year of payment. Since there are no pension funds for these schemes, no payments to financial companies arise.
EU Directives
Questions (307)
Catherine Murphy
Question:307. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the transposition of EU Directive EU 2019/1937; if he will embark on pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill; and if this will occur in advance of the deadline for the transposition of this directive on 17 December 2021. [21500/21]
View answerWritten answers
The EU formally adopted Directive 2019/1937 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law ("the Whistleblowing Directive") on 23 October 2019. All Member States, including Ireland, have until 17 December 2021 to transpose the Directive into national law. Ireland is one of just 10 EU Member States to already have comprehensive whistleblowing laws in place, in the form of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, and is considered a leading country in this field - most recently, the International Bar Association rated Ireland joint second in the world for the protections it provides to whistleblowers in a report published in March of this year.
Work on an initial draft of the transposing legislation is at an advanced stage and will be published later in the year. A public consultation on Ireland's approach to the transposition was held last year and elicited some 24 submissions, which have helped inform the development of the legislation. The Summer Legislative session includes provision for pre-legislative scrutiny and publication of the Bill, ahead of the deadline of 17 December 2021.
State Visits
Questions (308)
Catherine Murphy
Question:308. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide the finalised schedule of costs associated with the Papal visit to the Phoenix Park in 2018; and if any of the costs are being disputed at present. [21591/21]
View answerWritten answers
The cost as recorded by the OPW relating to the Papal Visit to the Phoenix Park in 2018 is €8,996,807.17 (including VAT).
All costs/invoices due relating to that event were received and paid in full. There are no outstanding payments or disputes relating to same.
National Parks
Questions (309)
Catherine Murphy
Question:309. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide a full update in respect of all gates that were removed for restoration in the Phoenix Park; the full costs of same; and the timeline for the reinstallation of the gates. [21592/21]
View answerWritten answers
The Office of Public Works obtained permission, under Section 5 of the Planning and Development Act 2000-2002 (as amended) to remove seven pairs of gates and ancillary structures, from vehicular and pedestrian entrances at the perimeter of the Phoenix Park, in order to facilitate the free and safe movement of people and vehicles for the Papal visit to the Phoenix Park in 2018, and for their repair, refurbishment and reinstatement, to include in situ stone repair works at their existing locations.
All seven pairs of gates have now been refurbished and returned to the OPW for rehanging.
Works on the Knockmaroon gates, which were undertaken in situ, were completed in August 2020. The North Circular Road gates were fully restored and rehung in early December 2020.
Works on the rehanging of the remaining gates, located at Castleknock, Chapelizod, Blackhorse Avenue, Cabra and Islandbridge, including repair works to stonework and railings, were paused at the start of January 2021 due to the requirements of the Level 5 restrictions of the Government's Plan for Living with Covid-19.
Planning is underway for the resumption of works as soon as practicable. It is currently estimated that the remaining works will be concluded by end-July 2021.
Total expenditure on this project, to date, has amounted to €811,000.
National Parks
Questions (310)
Catherine Murphy
Question:310. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the progress made to date in relation to greater bicycle and pedestrian priority through and around the Phoenix Park; and his plans to incorporate the use of electric scooters in the park and to ensure the safety of all users as a result of such measures [21593/21]
View answerWritten answers
The Phoenix Park Transport and Mobility Options Study was promulgated on the 11th January 2021. This study examined a range of transport and mobility options for the park with an emerging preferred option being identified which seeks to reposition the Phoenix Park as an important natural resource for the citizens of Dublin and further afield, while seeking to reduce through traffic over the medium to long term.
This preferred option will significantly improve pedestrian and cycling safety while also providing more sustainable transport options for those working in the park and accessing its visitor attractions and amenities. It recommends the upgrade of over 7 km of footpaths along with strategic pedestrian crossing points on Chesterfield Avenue and other key locations throughout the Park, including the Gate entrances. Further expansion and upgrade of the cycle network within the Park and linkages to the external networks is recommended. This will involve the creation of 14 km of new cycle lanes and the upgrade of over 17 kms of existing cycle lanes within the Park and at Park entrances. A reduction in the speed limit is also recommended.
The Phoenix Park Transport and Mobility Study public consultation commenced in late January and concluded in mid March with over 2,200 submissions being received. An analysis of all the submissions received is currently being undertaken and, subject to approval of the final recommendations, OPW will seek to implement these recommendations in the report within the published timelines contained in the final report.
Another key recommendation in the report is that OPW would review the existing bye-laws pertaining to the Phoenix Park. The OPW review will include consideration of new provisions relating to electric scooters, and this work will be informed by Government Policy from the Department of Transport. The Department has proposed the drafting of legislation which will allow for the regulation of e-scooters and e-bikes in the forthcoming Road Traffic (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.
Heritage Centres
Questions (311)
Martin Browne
Question:311. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of plans for the tourist interpretative heritage centre in Cashel, County Tipperary; and if a location for the centre has been identified. [21663/21]
View answerWritten answers
A suitably qualified consultancy firm has been engaged to undertake an initial site assessment for the possible location of a new Visitor Centre for the Rock of Cashel. It is envisaged that such a Centre, once completed would serve visitor needs to the Monument site, the town of Cashel and its environs.
A number of sites have been identified and will be assessed over the coming months.
Departmental Bodies
Questions (312, 314)
Gerald Nash
Question:312. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if each of the public bodies under his aegis and the publicly-funded bodies of the ESRI and Institute of Public Administration advertise vacant posts through a website (details supplied); the percentage of vacant posts that were advertised on the website since 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21832/21]
View answerGerald Nash
Question:314. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if each of the public bodies under his aegis and the publicly-funded bodies of the ESRI and the Institute of Public Administration advertise vacant posts through a website (details supplied);if so, the percentage of vacant posts that were advertised on it since 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21835/21]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 312 and 314 together.
The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below.
|
- |
Job vacancies advertised on publicjobs.ie |
Percentage of job vacancies advertised on publicjobs.ie since 2016 |
Job vacancies advertised on jobsireland.ie |
Percentage of job vacancies advertised on jobsireland.ie since 2016 |
|
Office of Public Works |
|
|
|
|
|
Established Grades |
Yes |
100% |
No |
- |
|
Industrial Grades |
No |
- |
Yes |
78% |
|
Public Appointments Service* |
Yes |
100% |
Yes |
2016-2019 0% 2020-2021 1% |
|
National Shared Services Office |
Yes |
12.5% |
No |
- |
|
State Laboratory |
Yes |
100% |
No |
- |
|
Office of the Ombudsman |
Yes |
57% |
No |
- |
|
Office of the National Lottery Regulator |
Yes |
100% |
No |
- |
|
Economic and Social Research Institute** |
Yes |
6% |
No |
- |
|
Institute of Public Administration (IPA) |
Yes |
57% |
Yes |
48% |
* This includes all recruitment campaigns run by PAS on behalf of all public service bodies for which it recruits.
** As a general rule, all ESRI admin jobs are advertised on publicjobs.ie whereas the research roles, which are more specialised, are advertised in universities and on academic recruitment websites.
Departmental Bodies
Questions (313)
Gerald Nash
Question:313. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if each of the public bodies under his aegis and the publicly-funded bodies of the ESRI and the Institute of Public Administration have availed of the JobsPlus incentive since its establishment in 2013; if so, the number of staff that have been recruited during that time period; and the number of such recruitments that were eligible for JobsPlus payments. [21833/21]
View answerWritten answers
I wish to advise the Deputy that none of the bodies under the aegis of my Department have availed of the JobsPlus incentive since 2013.
Question No. 314 answered with Question No. 312.
Departmental Bodies Expenditure
Questions (315)
Gerald Nash
Question:315. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 414 and 416 of 31 March 2021, if there is consideration to establish guidance for public bodies or publicly funded bodies on upper limits of information and communication technology spending outside the Office of Government Procurement framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21836/21]
View answerWritten answers
It is the responsibility of public bodies to ensure they adhere to procurement rules and guidelines and utilise national frameworks put in place where available and appropriate and in conformance with the Public Spending Code, Public Financial Procedures, and other such relevant guidelines already in place.
Departmental Bodies
Questions (316)
Gerald Nash
Question:316. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 103 and 104 of 1 April 2021, if the Institute of Public Administration could also initiate such a project with its extensive catalogue; if both bodies can be required as conditions of their grants to adhere to public duties on disability and accessibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21837/21]
View answerWritten answers
I understand the legislation referred to by the Deputy is the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 which confers a duty on public bodies to promote equality, prevent discrimination, and protect the human rights of their employees, customers, service users and everyone affected by their policies and plans. The Act also notes the relevance of the functions and purpose of the body, its size and the resources available to it, in adhering to their duties.
Both the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) have informed me that they are embedding the broad and comprehensive requirements set out in that legislation which refer to disability, and the Public Sector Duty.
Work is currently underway in the IPA to implement the findings of an accessibility review. Given the functions and purpose of the IPA, this will largely focus on improvements to the physical accessibility of the Institute’s campus, however works to improve digital accessibility are also ongoing.
It is my understanding that both the ESRI and the IPA are committed to providing due care to all stakeholders in relation to disability and accessibility, and these commitments will be reflected in the annual Corporate Governance Agreements between my Department and the Institutes.