Parliamentary questions

Competition and Consumer Protection Commission

John Curran

122. Deputy John Curran asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has reported yet on the operation of the household waste collection market; her plans to publish this report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49318/17]

Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement Data

Maurice Quinlivan

123. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of the 248 public complaints received by the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement, ODCE, in 2016 that resulted in further action being taken by the ODCE; the number that were dismissed; and the number that remain open. [49406/17]

Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement Reports

Maurice Quinlivan

124. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation when a report (details supplied) will be made public in view of the receipt of advice from the Attorney General on same. [49407/17]

Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement Expenditure

Maurice Quinlivan

125. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the reason over €2.2 million was surrendered back to the State by the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement in 2016, in view of the fact that no prosecutions or convictions were achieved by this office; and her views on whether this represents an agency that is adequately policing white collar crime here. [49408/17]

Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement

Maurice Quinlivan

126. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of times she has met the Director of Corporate Enforcement since coming to office; if she has confidence in the director in view of the collapse of a trial (details supplied) in May 2017 due to the failed ODCE investigation and in view of the fact that no prosecutions or convictions have been achieved by this office in the past two years. [49409/17]

Help-To-Buy Scheme Eligibility

Tom Neville

127. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Finance if people purchasing a second-hand house can be considered under the help-to-buy scheme; if they must pay property tax in the first year in view of the fact they are first-time buyers; and if they can claim back DIRT on savings used to purchase the home (details supplied). [49188/17]

Carbon Tax Yield

Bernard Durkan

128. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Finance the amount of revenue that has been raised by the carbon tax since its introduction; the number of departmental staff who are tasked with enforcement in this area; the total staffing costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49193/17]

Energy Prices

Bernard Durkan

129. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Finance the extent to which his Department monitors the economic impact of energy costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49451/17]

Stamp Duty

Paul Kehoe

130. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Finance if a person is liable to full charge (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48682/17]

Financial Services Regulation

Michael McGrath

131. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 266 of 7 November 2017 and without disclosing any information pertaining to any individual institution, if the Central Bank has received complaints or carried out an investigation into business loans in which the person is of the view that they were wrongly removed from an interest rate linked to EURIBOR or were denied the option of reverting to a rate linked to EURIBOR following a period on a fixed rate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48688/17]

Tax Treaties

Pearse Doherty

132. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance his plans to commission a report on the way in which the State's tax policies and treaties affect developing countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48708/17]

Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears

Pearse Doherty

133. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance his views and those of the Central Bank on whether the policy of a bank (details supplied) of charging an extra 1 percentage point interest rate on all restructured tracker mortgages is within the spirit and letter of the code of conduct on mortgage arrears; if this issue has been raised with him or the Central Bank; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48709/17]

Tax Code

Joan Burton

134. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance the date which the tax on sugar sweetened drinks will commence in April 2018. [48732/17]

Carbon Tax Implementation

Timmy Dooley

135. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Finance the number of studies that his Department has commissioned or conducted into the impacts of carbon taxes. [48754/17]

Brexit Issues

Stephen Donnelly

136. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Finance the preparations made in his Department in the event of no agreement being reached between the United Kingdom and the European Union on the terms of the UK's exit from the EU; if such preparations involve the drawing up of detailed and specific contingency plans in the event of a hard Brexit and a trade regime based on WTO tariffs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48777/17]

Departmental Staff Training

Catherine Murphy

137. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance the cost of providing external coaching and-or training services for staff development in his Department over the past five years and to date in 2017, by cost per year, in tabular form; the company that delivered the training courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48806/17]

Property Tax Exemptions

Noel Rock

138. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Finance his plans to introduce an exemption for old age pensioners for the payment of local property tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48817/17]

Mortgage Interest Relief Data

Catherine Murphy

139. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance the rationale for the change in mortgage interest relief that reduces the amount of relief on a sliding scale to the year 2021 by 25% per year; his plans to monitor the effect this reduction will have on qualifying mortgage holders availing of the relief; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48824/17]

Departmental Contracts

Catherine Murphy

140. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance the names of the companies renting a fixing and-or space on telecommunications and-or communications masts from his Department; the income received for each of the past five years for same, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48840/17]

Banking Sector Regulation

Pearse Doherty

141. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance his views on the fact that the section 110 tax status availed of by qualifying companies operating as non-bank loan originators in the State could be breaking state aid rules in view of the fact that new banks or lenders which could set up non-retail lending operations here and do not meet the current qualifying criteria for section 110 status would not be afforded the same tax neutral treatment. [48849/17]

State Aid Investigations

Pearse Doherty

142. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the implications of the European Commission's recent ruling that a company (details supplied) has to pay €250 million to Luxembourg having received illegal tax benefits from Luxembourg, in terms of state aid from Ireland to a company in view of its taxation arrangements with the State and the parallels between Luxembourg and Ireland regarding companies. [48850/17]

State Aid Investigations

Pearse Doherty

143. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance if the EU Commission has informally or formally requested information on Irish tax schemes for the purposes of state aid rules or specific tax relationships with companies; the details of such requests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48851/17]

Money Laundering

Pearse Doherty

144. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the number of letters issued in each of the years 2014 to 2016 and to date in 2017 by banks (details supplied) to political representatives, their families or associates requesting additional information concerning identification, evidence of sources of funds, evidence of residential address and certified statement of assets as per section 37 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48855/17]

Departmental Contracts

Catherine Murphy

145. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance the income received by his Department from the renting to companies of space to use and or take fixings from telecoms and or communications masts on site or on the roof of his Department, in each of the past five years, by location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48878/17]

Departmental Reports

Brendan Howlin

146. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Finance when the report of the working group on the tax and fiscal treatment of rental accommodation providers, expected to be submitted to him in July 2017, will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48924/17]

Tax Clearance Certificates

Michael McGrath

147. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the position regarding an application for a tax clearance certificate by the estate a person (details supplied). [48934/17]

Central Bank of Ireland Supervision

Jackie Cahill

148. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Finance how the Central Bank regulates the Irish Credit Bureau; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48935/17]

Central Bank of Ireland Supervision

Jackie Cahill

149. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Finance what checks the Central Bank has in place to ensure the accuracy and veracity of the information held on consumers by the Irish Credit Bureau; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48936/17]

Central Bank of Ireland Supervision

Jackie Cahill

150. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Finance the recourse that the Central Bank has put in place for a person in cases in which the information on them held by the Irish Credit Bureau is incorrect or inaccurate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48937/17]

Credit Register Administration

Jackie Cahill

151. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Finance his views on whether the functions carried out by the Irish Credit Bureau which is owned and run by the financial institutions in the State would better serve the economy and better protect persons if it were outside the control of the financial institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48938/17]

Credit Register Administration

Jackie Cahill

152. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Finance if the Central Bank supports the objectives of the Irish Credit Bureau (details supplied); the manner of that support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48939/17]

Pension Provisions

John McGuinness

153. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Finance if the pension being paid to a person (details supplied) is the correct amount; if the tax deductions are correct; and if an examination of the matter will be expedited. [48990/17]

Brexit Negotiations

Darragh O'Brien

154. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Finance if he has raised the issue at EU level of an EU reform fund being established to help countries and regions most exposed to Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49018/17]

Insurance Costs

Brian Stanley

155. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Finance the measures that have been taken over the past 18 months to reduce the exorbitant cost of insurance on private and commercial vehicles; the further steps planned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49027/17]

Departmental Communications

Jonathan O'Brien

156. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Finance the domain names registered to or owned by his Department or through a third party company. [49062/17]

Tax Code

Niall Collins

157. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Finance the annualised interest rate applied on late payment and filing of P30 returns; the equivalent rate of interest applied in the UK and in other EU and OECD countries, in tabular form. [49094/17]

Tax Code

Niall Collins

158. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Finance the annualised interest rate applied on late payment and filing of VAT returns; the equivalent rate of interest applied in the UK and in other EU and OECD countries, in tabular form. [49095/17]

Parliamentary Questions Costs

Mattie McGrath

159. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the average costs associated with processing and answering written and oral parliamentary questions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49124/17]

Paradise Papers

Clare Daly

160. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Finance his plans to deal with those revealed to be involved in the Paradise Papers, particularly with regard to construction companies which continue to trade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49150/17]

Tax Reliefs Application

Bernard Durkan

161. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Finance if a tax relief for student fees paid outside the EU for one year of study exists in the case of a person who has lived and worked in Ireland in the years preceding their study, with particular reference to a student awarded a place in a university (details supplied) due to academic excellence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49182/17]

Help-To-Buy Scheme Administration

Michael McGrath

162. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if he will respond to a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied) concerning the help-to-buy scheme. [49267/17]

Tax Reliefs Data

Michael McGrath

163. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the number of persons claiming tax relief on third level tuition fees; the cost of the relief for each complete tax year since 2010, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49313/17]

Help-To-Buy Scheme Data

John Curran

164. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Finance the number of applications that have been received under the help-to-buy scheme to date in 2017; the number of these applications that have been processed; the amount of funding spent on this to date in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49317/17]

Tax Code

Michael McGrath

165. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the position in circumstances when the payment of inheritance tax becomes due by a person living here who is benefitting from an inheritance in respect of the estate of a person in the UK; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that in some cases the tax falls due before the deceased's estate has been administered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49364/17]

Tax Avoidance

Pearse Doherty

166. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the details of his planned anti-avoidance measures to deal with the avoidance of stamp duty on the purchase of commercial property through buying shares in a company or investment fund which holds the commercial property and other measures which may be used to avoid or reduce the 6% stamp duty charge on commercial property; if these anti-avoidance measures will be back dated to budget day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49378/17]

Real Estate Investment Trusts

Pearse Doherty

167. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance if costs (details supplied) are deductible for REITs when computing their annual property income in view of the fact that one of the qualifying criteria of a REIT is that it must make a distribution of not less than 85% of its annual property income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49379/17]

eGovernment Services

Micheál Martin

168. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the unit within his Department that is responsible for implementing the eGovernment strategy 2017 to 2020. [48749/17]

Pension Provisions

Seán Sherlock

169. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the estimated number of persons in the single pension scheme for public servants; the number under each Department for the latest available date; if all aspects of the scheme are now in place; his plans to review the contributions to the scheme and the actuarial position in view of, among other factors, the finding by the Public Service Pay Commission that the value provided by public service employers to single scheme members is on a par with private sector direct contribution, DC, schemes; and when benefit statements will be provided to scheme members. [48971/17]

Superannuation Schemes

Noel Grealish

170. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of both civil and public servants who retired and-or received their relevant Civil Service or public sector pension in 2015 and 2016; the number in both categories who were granted added years; the average salary for both categories on retirement; the estimated annual and long-term cost of these added years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48711/17]

Garda Station Refurbishment

Eugene Murphy

171. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the OPW will fully fund the upgrading project for Ballinasloe Garda station; if so, the amount of funding being committed to this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48715/17]