Parliamentary questions

UN Conventions Issues

Andrew Doyle

156. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if Ireland intends to ratify the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; if so, when he intends to bring legislation before the Houses of the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22280/13]

European Court of Human Rights Judgments

Terence Flanagan

157. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will confirm that at a meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 7 March 2013 the representative from Poland proposed the insertion into the Council’s statement to the effect that neither the European Convention on Human Rights nor the Court’s ruling in A, B and C v. Ireland obliged Ireland to introduce legislation permitting abortion; if he will confirm that this proposal was supported by representatives from other countries and that the Irish representative refused to support it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22332/13]

Consular Services Staff

Andrew Doyle

158. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 113 of 7 May 2013, when the last review was conducted by his Department of Irish honorary consuls around the world; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22474/13]

Consular Services Staff

Andrew Doyle

159. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has considered appointing a new honorary consul in the Channel Islands upon the retirement of a person (details supplied) in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22484/13]

Consular Services Staff

Andrew Doyle

160. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide in tabular form the complete list of honorary Irish consuls in locations abroad that have been appointed from 2007 to date in 2013; if he will include the date of appointment; the person appointed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22485/13]

Ministerial Travel

Andrew Doyle

161. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will outline the travel that the Minister of State with responsibility for trade and development has undertaken in the past six months in his role as a Minister of State in his Department, most notably, the first ever Irish ministerial visit to Mongolia; if he will outline the engagements he has had on each trip; the visits that he is intending to take during the coming six months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22521/13]

Public Sector Staff Remuneration

Róisín Shortall

162. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of personnel in whole-time equivalent terms in his Department and in bodies under the aegis of his Department in each of the following earnings brackets: less than €20,000, €20,001 to €30,000, €30,001 to €40,000, €40,001 to €50,000, €50,001 to €60,000, €60,001 to €70,000, €70,001 to €80,000, €80,001 to €90,000, €90,001 to €100,000, €100,000 to €125,000, €125,001 to €150,000, €150,001 to €175,000, €175,001 to €200,000, €200,001 to €250,000, €250,001 to €300,000, €300,001 to €350,000, €350,001 to €400,000, €400,001 to €450,000, €450,001 to €500,000, and more than €500,000. [22790/13]

Youth Unemployment Measures

Alan Farrell

163. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide a progress update on the youth guarantee fund; the way these funds may be accessed and the proportion of funding that he expects to draw down; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22816/13]

EU Enlargement

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

164. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the progress that has being made during Ireland's EU Presidency in relation to Macedonia's progress to EU membership. [22832/13]

Departmental Expenditure

John McGuinness

165. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the individual amount of overtime paid in the case of each political-ministerial appointee for the period 2007 to date in 2013 relative to his office and the office of the Minister of State; if such payments were made to the Secretary General and advisers, and if so, the amounts for the same period. [22876/13]

Diplomatic Representation

Andrew Doyle

166. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will outline the full details regarding the upcoming rotation of Irish ambassadors that was recently approved; if he will list in tabular form the rotations that will take place in each embassy of Ireland; when he expects each of the rotations to occur; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22884/13]

Official Engagements

Andrew Doyle

167. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if Ireland has been invited to take part in celebrations in Croatia upon its accession to the European Union and becoming the 28th member state of the EU on 1 July 2013; the representatives who will be there on Ireland's behalf; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22920/13]

Tax Exemptions

Clare Daly

168. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Finance the action he will take in view of the ECJ order that the refund of excise duty on fuel used by disabled drivers is unlawful and in breach of the excise directive. [22302/13]

Tax Code

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

169. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Finance the reason there continues to be a death tax on intestate wills; and if he has any plans to change same. [22472/13]

Property Taxation Exemptions

Brendan Griffin

170. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Finance the length of time for which the current list of unfinished housing estates will qualify for a waiver from the local property tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22837/13]

Tax Exemptions

Gerry Adams

171. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Finance if there are any proposals to review the current qualifying criteria in respect of primary medical certificates; if his Department will consider revising the criteria to allow primary medical certificates to be issued on a shorter term basis, open to reviewing ongoing long-term medical conditions and associated levels of mobility; if there is a need to seek to include those affected primarily in childhood by medical conditions which currently cannot be diagnosed definitively as affecting mobility for the duration of a person's lifetime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22844/13]

Property Taxation Exemptions

Sean Fleming

172. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide a list of persons liable for the local property tax that are not required to pay the 2013 tax until 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22158/13]

Property Tax Assessments

Sean Fleming

173. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Finance the reasons that identical houses in private estates may have different values attributed to them for the local property tax in situations where the local authority is the owner of some of these houses and under the planning and development acts, Part 5, social and affordable housing scheme and these houses are to fall into the lowest valuation band of €0-€100,000 for the period up to and including 2016; if identical houses side by side in the same estates can be valued at this amount or are they required to value their houses at a higher level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22159/13]

Tax Code

Sean Fleming

174. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Finance the situation regarding the capital gains tax payable by a landowner who transfers a site to a relation for no consideration; the liability that attaches to the person who transfers the site and the liability that attaches to the person who receives the site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22160/13]

Property Tax Assessments

Heather Humphreys

175. Deputy Heather Humphreys asked the Minister for Finance if he will outline the rationale behind the valuation bands of the local property tax; if consideration was given to introducing more gradual bands than €50,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22174/13]

Property Taxation Administration

Mattie McGrath

176. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties being experienced by householders who have not received their local property tax return form and who do not have Internet access; if he will extend the deadline for paper returns to the 27 May to ensure that all householders making an effort to pay and who do not have access to the Internet are not put under undue pressure when they have not received the form (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22175/13]

Income Statistics

Róisín Shortall

177. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 73 of 2 May 2013, if he will set out the incomes and income tax distributions in a format matching the income bands in a table in the published reports he refers to in his reply and citing the table title, in order that a reliable comparison can be made with previous years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22231/13]

Pension Provisions

Helen McEntee

178. Deputy Helen McEntee asked the Minister for Finance in view of the publication of the Mercer report and his recommendations to the covered institutions that they reduce their cost base by between 6% and 10%, if his attention has been drawn to fact that a covered institution (details supplied) will ask for a significant contribution from its pension schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22238/13]

Banking Sector Issues

Terence Flanagan

179. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Finance his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding an increase in EBS mortgages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22250/13]

Tax Clearance Certificates

Sean Fleming

180. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Finance if State bodies, State agencies and public bodies should be required to get a tax clearance certificate ffrom persons who purchase assets from them to ensure assets formerly owned by the State are not going into the black economy in view of the fact that there is a requirement for tax clearance certificates to be available for people who are receiving payment from a public body in many cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22267/13]

Property Taxation Exemptions

Joanna Tuffy

181. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Finance if it is possible to apply for a full or partial exemption or waiver in respect of a private residence that has had works carried out to the property to adapt the house for an occupier that has a disability as part of the housing adaption for people with a disability grant scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22271/13]

International Financial Services Centre

Terence Flanagan

182. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Finance the number of banks and businesses that have closed in the International Financial Services Centre over the past three years; the names of the banks; the reason they closed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22277/13]

Tax Yield

Terence Flanagan

183. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Finance the number of taxpayers earning more than €100,000 per annum; the amount of tax they pay; the percentage this is of the total tax take; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22278/13]

Marked Gas Oil

Michael McGrath

184. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if operators are permitted to use marked gas oil rebated fuel in agricultural tractor and trailer combinations used for the general carriage of goods by road for hire or reward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22285/13]

Defined Benefit Pension Schemes

Clare Daly

185. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Finance if he will intervene with the Permanent TSB in order to ensure that workers' pension benefits are protected under the defined benefit scheme and to ensure that those accountable for bad investment decisions and under funding are held accountable rather than the innocent members of the scheme. [22312/13]

Property Taxation Collection

Kevin Humphreys

186. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Finance the reason a person who signed up online to pay the local property tax by direct debit has had the payment debited when the forms indicate that the payment would not be due until 21 July; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22347/13]

Pension Provisions

Michael McGrath

187. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if he has received formal replies to the Mercer report from each of the State supported banks; the actions that are now planned to implement the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22361/13]

Budget 2014 Issues

Pearse Doherty

188. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the minimum adjustment that would be required to be made in budget 2014 to meet the original agreed deficit target as set out in the troika programme. [22364/13]

IBRC Liquidation

Pearse Doherty

189. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance of the ten persons, commonly known together as the Maple 10 or Anglo Golden Circle, if he will confirm the number of persons that continue to have outstanding loans at the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation; if these persons have currently outstanding loans other than those related to the Maple 10 transaction. [22365/13]

IBRC Liquidation

Pearse Doherty

190. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance of the ten loans provided to the group commonly known together as the Maple 10 or Anglo Golden Circle, if he will confirm the number of loans which were provided originally on a recourse basis, but which were subsequently changed to non-recourse loans. [22366/13]

IBRC Liquidation

Pearse Doherty

191. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance of the ten loans provided to the group commonly known together as the Maple 10 or Anglo Golden Circle, if he will confirm the total of all repayments made and the current outstanding balance including interest and any other charges. [22367/13]

IBRC Liquidation

Pearse Doherty

192. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance of the ten loans provided to the group commonly known together as the Maple 10 or Anglo Golden Circle, if he will confirm the number of loans on which the bank has initiated court proceedings to recover sums outstanding. [22368/13]

IBRC Liquidation

Pearse Doherty

193. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the reason the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation borrowers will be eligible to buy their own loans at less than par value when such loans over €10m are offered to the market imminently, but that borrowers at the National Asset Management Agency are precluded by the NAMA Act from buying their own loans at below par value. [22369/13]

NAMA Expenditure

Pearse Doherty

194. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance if he will confirm the sums paid by the National Asset Management Agency to each of the ratings agencies Fitch, Moody’s, Standard and Poor’s and Dominion Bond Rating Service in each of 2010, 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013. [22370/13]

Financial Services Sector Remuneration

Pearse Doherty

195. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 208 and 210 of 23 April 2013, if he will confirm by year, separately, the salary and benefits and total remuneration of the Financial Regulator for 2010, 2011 and 2012. [22371/13]

Stock Exchange Issues

Pearse Doherty

196. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 79 of 1 May 2013, if the increase in the State’s shareholding of the ordinary shares in Allied Irish Banks as a result of receiving the €280m dividend in kind rather than in cash, will affect the stock exchange listing status of AIB. [22372/13]

State Banking Sector

Pearse Doherty

197. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the reason he has not been obliged to make an offer for all outstanding shares in Allied Irish Banks and Permanent TSB in view of his shareholding in both banks, 99.8% in the former and 99.5% in the latter. [22373/13]

Banking Licence Applications

Pearse Doherty

198. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance if he will confirm by year for each of end of 2010, end of 2011, end of 2012 and currently, the number of extant banking licences issued to banks operating in the International Financial Services Centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22374/13]

Central Bank of Ireland Issues

Pearse Doherty

199. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance if he will confirm that the Central Bank of Ireland is considering outsourcing security for the bank's operations; if all security operations, or specific activities are being outsourced; the value of the contract that is being offered; the way it is being tendered and the closing date for tendering; the cost of the tendering process; the savings of net cost to the State of outsourcing security; if there will be job losses at the Central Bank of Ireland as a result of this. [22396/13]

Tobacco Control Measures

Billy Kelleher

200. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Finance the payments that have been made by tobacco manufacturers in each of the past five years for breaches of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Revenue Commissioners and tobacco companies here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22405/13]

Property Taxation Administration

Brendan Griffin

201. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Finance if he will investigate the reason persons who had registered and paid the household charge did not receive their local property tax return forms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22407/13]

Property Taxation Application

Brendan Griffin

202. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Finance if he will clarify a person's liability for the local property tax (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22438/13]

Property Taxation Collection

Andrew Doyle

203. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Finance if statistics from the local property tax collected by the Revenue Commissioners will be made available for academic purposes such as geographers and academics as mentioned by the chairperson's recent comments in the media; when he expects this information to be made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22481/13]

Departmental Funding

Catherine Murphy

204. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to any proposal to partly fund the Poolbeg incinerator project through loans from the National Pension Reserve Fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22659/13]

Tax Exemptions

Dan Neville

205. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Finance if he will advise on the attached (details supplied) regarding capital gains tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22698/13]