Written Answers Nos. 195-219
195. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide a figure for the total amount of active travel funding allocated to Galway County Council to date; the amount of that allocation that remains unspent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19417/23]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to Active Travel. Funding is administered through the National Transport Authority (NTA), who, in partnership with local authorities, have responsibility for the selection and development of specific projects in each local authority area.
Noting the role of the NTA in the matter, I have referred your question to that agency for a more detailed answer. If you do not receive a reply within 10 working days, please contact my private office.
196. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Transport when a person (details supplied) will receive a date for a driving test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19451/23]
View answerThe Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for all aspects of the National Driving Test service. This includes test applications and scheduling matters. Neither I nor my Department have the power to intervene in individual cases.
Prioritised test appointments can be requested through the Authority for those applicants who are critical front-line workers employed by the HSE, a private hospital or the emergency services and who need to drive in the course of their duties.
197. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide an update on a Standards Working Group which was convened to examine the various guidance and standards documents (details supplied) which should be taken into account by local authorities when constructing new walking and cycling infrastructure to ensure that this infrastructure is designed safely and efficiently in order to encourage more people to use active travel transport modes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19522/23]
View answer198. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport if a Standards Working Group convened by his Department plans to examine the MacCurtain Street public transport improvement scheme, currently being implemented by Cork City Council as part of its review, to ensure that the local authority is in line with the various guidelines and standards documents (details supplied) which should be taken into account by local authorities when undertaking to construct new walking and cycling infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19523/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 197 and 198 together.
As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall state funding in relation to Roads and Active Travel infrastructure. My Department, the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the National Transport Authority (NTA) along with the relevant local authorities are responsible for the development and delivery of individual projects. In support of the above, a National Guidelines and Standards Group has been established to oversee and coordinate all Roads, Greenway and Active Travel guidelines and standards. This group comprises of members from each of these bodies as well as the City and County Management Association (CCMA). It also covers the areas of quality control, training and implementation monitoring. Progress to date includes:
Circulars setting out a common framework for guidelines and standards, as well as improved quality control measures;
Updates to DMURS Guidelines and supporting training on these guidelines, including online workshops and graduate programmes.
In support of the quality of infrastructure, and in particular the standard of urban cycle lanes, there is much work underway in terms of core standards to support this. Both the NTA and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) are updating relevant documents on cycling, greenways and urban cycle lanes. Any new Active Travel infrastructure funded by my Department must be designed in compliance with the guidance and standards set out in the National Cycle Manual, which is currently being revised and updated. This revision work is geared to reflect best practice including improving design standards. My Department is also working on updates supporting the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets (DMURS).
As the National Transport Authority (NTA) has oversight of Cork City Council in relation to the McCurtain Street public transport improvement project, it has responsibility for ensuring implementation of that project in accordance with the aforementioned requirements. Noting the role of the NTA in the matter, I have referred your question to that agency for a more detailed answer. If you do not receive a reply within 10 working days, please contact my private office.
199. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport the steps he is taking to increase the number of taxis in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19525/23]
View answer202. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport if he has considered changes to the current licensing regime to tackle the shortage of taxi drivers in cities. [19528/23]
View answer203. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport if reducing the cost of taxi licences and reducing the cost of airport taxi permits has been considered to increase taxi supply. [19529/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 199, 202 and 203 together.
The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including SPSV licensing, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016. I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of the SPSV industry.
In the period to end March 2023, a total of 1,303 new SPSV driver licences were granted by An Garda Síochána, the licensing authority for SPSV drivers. This is a 58% increase when compared to the previous 12 months (April to March 2022) and 63.8% relate to new applications to drive in Dublin.
Also to end March, there was a total of 14,754 Dublin licensed SPSV drivers, and 25,456 nationwide. The number of licensed vehicles on that date was 19,229. SPSVs themselves are not restricted to a geographical area for operation. They can operate anywhere in the State, irrespective of the postal address of the owner/renter of the vehicle and SPSV licence.
Regarding licence renewals, from January to December 2019, 2,533 SPSV drivers renewed their licences. During the same period in 2022, there were 4,618 driver licence renewals which is up 82% on 2019, with 1,140 recorded in Q1 2023. This shows that drivers are returning to the industry.
As the Deputy may be aware, both the NTA and my Department have taken a number of steps to support taxi drivers nationally and to increase the number of taxis available to passengers, especially for people getting home at night:
The NTA approved an average increase of 12% on taxi fares from 1 September 2022. The increase is weighted in favour of premium hours, such as weekend nights, Sundays and bank holidays. It is designed to attract more people to the taxi industry and to encourage more taxi drivers to work during unsocial hours, such as late nights, therefore increasing availability of taxis to passengers nationally.
The NTA ran a Driver Recruitment Campaign on national radio and digital platforms in July 2022 to encourage interested parties into the industry. Analysis carried out by the NTA indicates that this campaign has been successful. From September 2022 to March 2023, on average, 131 new licences issued per month compared to 81 per month for February to August 2022.
Since August 2022, a series of global circumstances has, in the NTA’s view, considerably worsened the capability of taxi and hackney licence holders to secure new vehicles, with lead times of one year not uncommon already. Therefore, The NTA introduced new Regulations on 18 November last, permitting an extension to the final operation date of vehicles due to reach their final date of operation/maximum permissible age between 13 March 2020 and 31 December 2024. This is to ensure that no current vehicle licence holder is forced out of the industry because a replacement vehicle cannot be purchased.
The NTA also permanently extended to 24 months, the period that an SPSV licence may rest in inactive status after expiry (previously 12 months).
Whilst the NTA has statutory responsibility for regulating the SPSV industry, taxi drivers are self-employed individuals and, as such, decide on their own business strategies within the regulatory framework, including choosing the times at which they operate.
The SPSV Driver Entry Test fee is €90 and the SPSV Driver Licence application fee is €250 which, if granted, allows an applicant to operate for five years.
In relation to taxi permits at Dublin airport, the Dublin Airport Authority has statutory responsibility in this regard.
200. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport the total number and breakdown by type of SPSV vehicles licensed nationally in each of the years 2019 to 2022 and to date in 2023. [19526/23]
View answer201. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport the total number and breakdown by type of SPSV vehicles licensed in Dublin in each of the years 2019 to 2022, and to date in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19527/23]
View answer204. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport the breakdown of the current waiting time for SPSV driver entry test in each of the test locations nationwide. [19530/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 200, 201 and 204 together.
The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including SPSV licensing, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016. The NTA is responsible for the collection and publication of statistics relating to SPSV licensing. I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of the SPSV industry.
Accordingly, I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.
205. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport if engagement has taken place with online taxi apps (details supplied) with a view to regulating the service and increasing taxi supply [19531/23]
View answerThe regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including SPSV licensing, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016. I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of the SPSV industry.
Uber, FreeNow and Lynx, as dispatch operators, are regulated by the NTA. Dispatch operators are permitted to provide bookings to SPSV licensed drivers using SPSV licensed vehicles, only. A fundamental tenet of Ireland’s SPSV regulatory regime is that only SPSV licensed drivers and vehicles are used for the carriage of passengers for reward.
Ireland's regulatory framework requires that all drivers and vehicles are licensed, as a means of protecting the consumer and helping ensure public safety. No special regulations have been developed to govern the carriage of passengers by passenger cars which are not SPSVs. Therefore, the classic model where anyone with a car and the relevant App, can provide taxi services, does not exist here.
The Advisory Committee on SPSVs is the primary forum for discussing issues in relation to the SPSV sector. It was established under the Taxi Regulation Act 2013 to provide both the Minister and the NTA with advice in relation to small public service vehicles and their drivers. Neither the NTA nor the Minister are bound by any advice provided. I last met the Committee on 23 February 2023. The meeting provided me with a valuable opportunity to get first-hand information on the issues affecting the industry. There is a representative from a dispatch operator, namely Free Now, on the Committee since 2019, acknowledging the fact that Free Now is currently the largest taxi dispatch operator in Ireland, with around two-thirds of all taxi drivers affiliated to it. Therefore, the views of taxi dispatch operators are listened to and are of great significance to the Committee.
Separately, I met Uber representatives in June 2022 who advised that Uber is satisfied with the regulatory structure of the SPSV industry in Ireland, as it’s clear to the company how it can legally operate here.
206. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Transport the number and total value of contracts his Department has had over the past 12 months with KPMG; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20043/23]
View answerThe contracts my Department has had with the supplier over the past 12months are set out in the table below;
|
Company |
Purpose |
Amount€ |
|
KPMG |
Project Management and Advisory Services |
€1,016,787 |
|
KPMG |
Provision of Services in relation to a Public Consultation |
€87,161 |
|
Total |
€1,103,948 |
207. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Finance the volume of larger boxes of cigarettes non-20-pack cigarettes sold in each of the years 2018 to 2022. [19308/23]
View answerI am informed by Revenue that it does not collect information regarding the specific date of sale of cigarette packs. However, based on tobacco product stamp returns it can determine the numbers of cigarette packets assembled for sale in the State in a given year. The volume of packs in excess of 20 cigarettes assembled is provided in the table below in respect of the period requested by the Deputy.
|
Year |
> 20 Pack (000’s) |
|
2018 |
14,826 |
|
2019 |
23,440 |
|
2020 |
21,547 |
|
2021 |
25,403 |
|
2022 |
18,375 |
208. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance the number of customers impacted by the 2021 IT calendar divisor issue in respect of underdeduction of LPT; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18965/23]
View answer209. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance the number of customers who pay LPT by means of deduction from social welfare schemes by year and scheme, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18966/23]
View answer210. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance in respect of the liability letters for LPT recently issued to customers of pension age, the number that related to an underpayment of less than €50; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18967/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 208 to 210, inclusive, together.
I am advised by Revenue that a shortfall in Local Property Tax (LPT) payments, deducted from Department of Social Protection (DSP) payments for 2021, occurred due to an IT systems miscalculation that resulted in the weekly deduction being calculated over 53 weeks rather than the standard 50 weeks. The systems error was unique to 2021 and has not impacted on subsequent or previous years. The number of properties impacted by the issue was approximately twenty thousand.
Property owners can opt to pay their LPT by deduction at source from certain Department of Social Protection (DSP) payments. This allows the property owner to spread the annual payment over the year and minimizes the burden of making a one-off payment. The following table gives the breakdown of property owners who pay LPT from their DSP payments annually:
|
Year: |
2012* |
2013* |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|
Blind Pension |
NA |
NA |
10 |
10 |
12 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
10 |
NA |
|
Carer’s Allowance |
151 |
301 |
462 |
492 |
477 |
458 |
488 |
449 |
441 |
398 |
437 |
450 |
|
Disability Allowance |
150 |
667 |
832 |
842 |
889 |
844 |
807 |
780 |
748 |
703 |
804 |
831 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
446 |
1,674 |
2,200 |
2,506 |
2,584 |
2,669 |
2,874 |
2,958 |
2,982 |
2,782 |
2,619 |
2,737 |
|
One Parent Family Payment |
24 |
178 |
129 |
60 |
40 |
36 |
30 |
27 |
32 |
33 |
29 |
29 |
|
State Pension (Contributory) |
1,123 |
5,628 |
10,366 |
10,952 |
11,217 |
11,427 |
12,330 |
12,322 |
12,167 |
11,141 |
12,553 |
12,674 |
|
State Pension (Non-Contributory) |
303 |
1,078 |
1,778 |
1,907 |
1,984 |
1,995 |
2,105 |
2,092 |
2,042 |
1,903 |
2,058 |
2,025 |
|
State Pension (Transition) |
NA |
59 |
28 |
36 |
34 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
10 |
NA |
|
Widow's/Widower's/Civil Partner's Contributory Pension |
598 |
2,674 |
5,001 |
5,533 |
5,633 |
5,780 |
6,178 |
6,208 |
6,162 |
5,714 |
6,005 |
6,029 |
|
Widow's/Widower's/Civil Partner's Non-Contributory Pension |
NA |
17 |
23 |
32 |
63 |
51 |
22 |
27 |
25 |
20 |
25 |
28 |
|
Total |
2,795 |
12,276 |
20,829 |
22,370 |
22,933 |
23,260 |
24,834 |
24,863 |
24,599 |
22,694 |
24,550 |
24,803 |
NA Note: an exact number is not provided due to Revenue’s obligation to protect taxpayer confidentiality and Revenue’s statistical disclosure protocols.
* Includes the Household Charge (HHC).
Revenue recently wrote to 290,000 liable owners who have not complied with their LPT obligations to date, affording them a final opportunity to regularise their LPT position. Properties with a balance due of less than €20 were not included in this recent campaign.
I am informed by Revenue that just over 2,400 customers of pension age received a compliance notice where the LPT liability is €50 or less.
While Revenue is obliged to collect LPT as it falls due, it is acknowledged that there are situations where normally compliant taxpayers experience difficulties that result in a failure to meet their tax obligations on time. In such scenarios, Revenue is committed to engaging with taxpayers to agree flexible payment arrangements that best suits their individual circumstances and avoids unnecessary hardship.
Any property owners experiencing financial difficulties can avail of a wide range of payment options for LPT both in respect of 2023 liabilities and for any previous years where liabilities are still outstanding. There are also legislative provisions in place that allow property owners to defer payment of LPT in certain circumstances.
Property owners experiencing difficulties in meeting their LPT obligations can contact Revenue online via MyEnquiries, by phone to the LPT Helpline on (01) 738 36 26 or in writing to LPT Branch, PO Box 1, Limerick, where every effort will be made to agree a suitable payment or deferral arrangement.
Information about the various payment and deferral options for LPT is available at: revenue.ie/en/property/local-property-tax/index.aspx
211. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Finance if the 0% VAT rate for solar panels applies to water heating solar panels and electricity generating solar panels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18973/23]
View answerI can confirm that the zero rate of VAT will apply to all solar panels for private dwellings, including both water heating solar panels and electricity generating solar panels.
212. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Finance if he will address a matter regarding the land tax (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18998/23]
View answerAs set out in Housing Policy Objective 15.2 of Housing for All, a new tax to activate vacant land for residential purposes, and which will in time replace the Vacant Site Levy, was enacted as a part of the Finance Act 2021.
The Residential Zoned Land Tax (or ‘RZLT’) was included as a part of the Finance Act 2021. The tax measure, which will be levied at 3% of the market value of the zoned land, is intended to encourage activation of lands which are suitably zoned and which have benefitted from investment in services to support housing but which remain undeveloped.
The aim of the tax is to ensure that zoned serviced land which is ready to deliver housing is activated and the process of seeking, gaining and activating planning permissions is encouraged. The RZLT is a part of the process of ensuring that zoned serviced land is used in an effective and timely manner.
Activation of planning permissions and greenfield and brownfield regeneration lands is a key aim of Housing for All, and will have the consequence of increasing supply, and broadening tenures. The LDA are tasked with provision of affordable and cost rental housing which will form a part of increased housing supply, along with social and private market housing, all of which are required at increased and consistent rates to meet demand. There are no exemptions included in the legislation relating to specific housing tenures.
The Government is committed to ensuring that social and affordable housing on State-owned lands is brought forward as quickly as possible, while also ensuring that the cost of delivering such housing is minimised where possible.
Land that meets the criteria for liability to the tax and is identified on the final map which will be published by each local authority on 1 December 2023. Assessment and determinations on submissions made during the public display period for the draft map are a matter for each individual local authority. DHLGH published Guidelines on June 2022 to assist local authorities in identifying land liable to the tax and assessing submissions.
213. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Finance the estimated cost to the Exchequer of increasing the single-person child carer credit in Budget 2024, in line with the €150 increase to the married person or civil partner credit in Budget 2023; if consideration is being given to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19106/23]
View answer214. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Finance the estimated cost to the Exchequer of increasing the single-person child carer credit by €75, €100 or €150 respectively. [19107/23]
View answer215. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider equivalising the tax rate for recipients of the single-person child carer credit with the two-adult single-earner household rate; the estimated cost to the Exchequer of equivalising these two rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19108/23]
View answer216. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Finance the number of people in receipt of the single-person child carer credit. [19109/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 213 to 216, inclusive, together.
The Single Person Child Carer Credit (SPCCC) was introduced from 1 January 2014. It replaced the One- Parent Family Credit. By way of background, the 2009 Commission on Taxation reviewed the One-Parent Family Tax Credit. It acknowledged that the credit played a role in supporting and incentivising the labour market participation of single and widowed parents but recommended that the credit should be allocated to the principal carer of the child only. A feature of the One-Parent Family Tax Credit was that it could be claimed by multiple individuals in respect of the same child, resulting in an unsustainable position.
The SPCCC is available to a single person who has a qualifying child resident with him or her for the whole or greater part of the tax year and who satisfies the other conditions of the relief. To qualify as a single person for the purposes of the SPCCC, the claimant must not be jointly assessed for income tax as a married person or civil partner, or be living with his or her spouse or civil partner, or be cohabiting with a partner.
The SPCCC has a nominal value of €1,650 per annum and also carries an entitlement to an additional €4,000 extended standard rate band, such that those availing of the credit can earn up to €44,000 in 2023 before liability to higher rate of income tax arises. An individual can only receive one SPCCC irrespective of the number of qualifying children residing with him or her.
The credit is ordinarily given to the primary claimant. The primary claimant is the individual who proves that a qualifying child resides with him or her for the whole or the greater part of the tax year (i.e. a period greater than six months) and that the child is either his or her own or has been placed in his or her custody. A primary claimant can relinquish entitlement to the SPCCC to a secondary claimant. The secondary claimant can then claim the credit if he or she qualifies as a single person and the qualifying child resides with him or her for at least 100 days throughout the tax year. Detailed information on the SPCCC can be found on Revenue’s website at link: www.revenue.ie/en/tax-professionals/tdm/income-tax-capital-gains-tax-corporation-tax/part-15/15-01-41.pdf, which may be of interest to the Deputy.
I am advised by Revenue that the number of claimants of the SPCCC is set out in the publication ‘Costs of tax expenditures (credits, allowances and reliefs)’ which is available on the Revenue website at www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/information-about-revenue/statistics/tax-expenditures/costs-expenditures.aspx .
For the convenience of the Deputy, the table below shows the number of claimants each year for the period 2014-2020. This is the most recent data that is currently available for the credit.
|
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
|
71,100 |
66,800 |
65700 |
67,400 |
70,500 |
77,100 |
77,100 |
I am advised by Revenue that the estimated cost of increasing the SPCCC by €75, €100 or €150 in 2023 can be found in the Revenue Ready Reckoner, available on the Revenue website at www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/information-about-revenue/statistics/ready-reckoner/index.aspx. Amounts other than those shown can be extrapolated using a straight line or pro-rata calculation. For the convenience of the Deputy, the relevant costs are set out below:
|
Increase |
First Year (€m) |
Full Year (€m) |
|
€75 |
3 |
3 |
|
€100 |
4 |
4 |
|
€150 |
6 |
6 |
The Deputy refers to equivalising the tax rate for recipients of the SPCCC with the two-adult single-earner household rate and the estimated cost to the Exchequer of equivalising these two rates. However, I am advised by Revenue that there are no specific rates of income tax for persons in different circumstances. Depending on the level of income, either a standard rate of income tax (currently 20%) or a marginal rate (currently set at 40%) applies. Income that is taxed at the standard rate of income tax is known as the standard rate tax band. The standard rate tax band for persons in receipt of the SPCCC is currently increased by €4,000 to a total of €44,000. The standard rate band for a joint assessed couple with one person working is €49,000. Further increasing the additional standard rate band given to recipients of the SPCCC to €49,000 is estimated to cost €14 million and €16 million on a first and full year basis respectively.
Finally, I am satisfied that the SPCCC in its current form is appropriately calibrated and there are no immediate plans to amend the credit as per the Deputy’s proposals.
217. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide an update on the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal; when the Board will be permitted to resume clinics/hearings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19118/23]
View answerFollowing the resignation of all previous Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal (DDMBA) members in November 2021, the process of re-establishing the Board has proved to be very challenging. The background to the process to date is set out below.
With respect to the recruitment of new members, it should be noted that five members are legislatively required for a functional Board with a quorum of three needed for any appeal hearing. The Department of Health has led on all actions and tasks with respect to Expression of Interest Campaigns to recruit candidates. Department of Finance officials have provided support to the Department of Health in this matter. Active recruitment efforts began shortly after the resignation of all members in November 2021, with the first Expression of Interest Campaign launched in January 2022. By November 2022 after three recruitment campaigns, five individuals had been nominated by the Minister of Health, pending successful completion of Garda vetting of two final candidates. These candidates successfully completed Garda vetting in January 2023.
Engagement began in December 2021 with the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH), to ascertain the conditions for their continued hosting of the new DDMBA. In February 2023, the National Rehabilitation Hospital (that has hosted the DDMBA since 2000) indicated their intention to withdraw their services with immediate effect. Finance and Health officials are actively seeking to implement new arrangements, including engaging with the NRH. As there are a range of requirements and complex issues involved this may take some time.
In March 2023, one nominated member of the Board resigned for personal reasons. Department of Health officials, with support from my officials, have launched another Expression of Interest Campaign, the closing date for which has been extended to 28th April as only one application was received by the original closing date.
Requests for appeal hearings can still be sent to the DDMBA secretary based in the National Rehabilitation Hospital.
Assessments for the primary medical certificate, by the HSE, are continuing to take place. In this regard, an important point to make is that even though there has been no appeal mechanism since the previous Board resigned, applicants who have been deemed not to have met one of the six eligibility criteria required for a PMC are entitled to request another PMC assessment six months after an unsuccessful PMC assessment.
218. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Finance the total income raised from the betting levy in 2021 and 2022; if he will provide a breakdown of which sports that levy arises from; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19156/23]
View answerI am advised by Revenue that the total receipts collected from Betting Duty in 2021, and prior years, are published on the Revenue website at the following link:
www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/information-about-revenue/statistics/excise/receipts-volume-and-price/excise-receipts-commodity.aspx
The provisional Betting Duty receipts for 2022 are €102m.
I am further advised by Revenue that bookmakers are not obliged to declare the activity on which bets have been taken and Betting Duty levied. In this regard, it not possible to provide a breakdown by individual sport of Betting Duty receipts.
219. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Finance if he will seek EU funding to cover the costs of replacement of the two customs cutter vessels; and if the contract for the replacement of these vessels has been put out to tender. [19341/23]
View answerI am advised by Revenue that it has two cutters (patrol vessels) in service at the moment. One of those vessels is approaching the end of its service life and Revenue intends to purchase a replacement vessel.
An application for partial funding under the ‘Union Anti-Fraud Programme (EUAF)’ towards the cost of a replacement cutter was submitted in 2022 and was successful. A Request for Tender for a replacement cutter was published in the Official Journal of the EU in October 2022 and included an option for a second vessel, which could be a replacement for Revenue’s second vessel in time. Tenders were received in February 2023 and are currently under evaluation.
This Government has been consistent in its strong support for ensuring that Revenue has the necessary resources to fulfil its mandate in respect of functions that are critical for its effective functioning as a tax and customs administration. The necessary funding for the existing cutters and their eventual replacement has come from and will come from a combination of State resources and available EU funds.
