Written Answers Nos. 3-22
3. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when the residents (details supplied) of a property development will receive their €200 emergency benefit scheme payments. [31345/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures Act 2022 established a scheme for the making, of a once-off Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment to each domestic electricity account, in 2022, having regard to the exceptional rise in energy prices. The credit of €176.22 ex VAT, which suppliers began applying in April, will be applied to remaining domestic electricity accounts through May and June, and includes prepay meters. The Scheme is one important part of the significant Government response to address energy poverty and protect vulnerable customers in the last Budget, subsequently and most recently in the National Energy Security Framework.
The scheme is operated by ESB Networks and electricity suppliers with oversight by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities. To deliver such a widely applicable Scheme in a tight timeframe it uses a single eligibility criterion of a meter point registration number with the credit being applied automatically to all domestic electricity accounts held with suppliers on 29 March.
The payment is being applied to domestic electricity accounts i.e. those which are subject to distribution use of system charges at the rate for urban domestic customers (DG1) or the rate for rural domestic customers (DG2), as set out in section 1 of the Act.
Queries in relation to individual cases are a matter for the service provider.
The Deputy may also wish to note that Frequently Asked Questions, are available on gov.ie at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/4ae14-electricity-costs-emergency-benefit-scheme/
4. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if motorists involved in an accident with an uninsured or undetected vehicle will be covered by an organisation (details supplied) for damages caused to their vehicle and or injuries suffered by passengers; the legislation or regulations that decide the particulars which are and are not covered in such circumstances; the plans, if any, that his Department has to amend such regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31346/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraEstablished in 1955, the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) is a non-profit-making organisation registered in Ireland. All insurance companies underwriting motor insurance in this country must, by law, be members of MIBI and contribute to the funding of claims in proportion to their market share.
The principal role of MIBI is to compensate innocent victims of accidents caused by uninsured and unidentified vehicles. This is regulated under the terms of an agreement between MIBI and the Minister for Transport, details of which are available on the Department's website. As is the case with all insurers, MIBI processes each claim on an individual basis and I, as Minister, have no role in the determination of specific cases.
My officials have been engaging with MIBI on a review of the current agreement. I am confident that an updated agreement can be in place before long.
5. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Transport if the National Transport Authority will look at providing a new bus route from Youghal to Midleton train station which would service Youghal, Killeagh and Castlemartyr and increase connectivity between Youghal and Cork city via Midleton train station; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31045/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in conjunction with the relevant transport operators.
In light of the Authority's responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's specific question in relation to the provision of a new bus routes from Youghal to Midleton train station to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
6. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Transport if he will include trucks driven by Irish taxpayers and registered to other European Union countries in line with European Union regulations in the licensed haulage support scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31053/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe European and Global oil markets are currently volatile, due to the conflict in Ukraine exacerbating pre-existing market shortages, primarily of diesel. This has caused a spike in the price of crude and in the price of refined products on the retail market.
On 15 March 2022, Minister Ryan and I proposed to Government an emergency support measure – the Licensed Haulage Emergency Support Scheme. The Scheme provided support of €100 per week, for eight weeks, for each eligible heavy goods vehicle (HGV) authorised on the licence of a road haulage operator as of 11 March 2022.
The Scheme was administered by the Department of Transport. Over €15 million has been paid out under the Scheme to 2,921 licensed operators. Further eligible applications received prior to the closing date on 06 June 2022 will be processed over the coming days and final payments will be made shortly. I can confirm the Scheme is now closed to further applications.
7. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport if a decision has been made on an application of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry for a rural hackney licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31292/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) sector, including SPSV licences, is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013.
I have, therefore, forwarded your correspondence to the Authority for consideration and direct reply. Please advise this office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.
8. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Transport if he will request the Dublin Airport Authority to explain and justify the recent huge increase in parking costs at Dublin Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31354/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe daa has statutory responsibility to operate and manage Dublin Airport. As the issue raised is an operational matter for the daa, I have forwarded your question to the company for direct reply. If the Deputy does not receive a reply within ten working days, please advise my Private Office.
9. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Transport the number of fast chargers 50 and 43 and super-fast chargers 150 and 70 for electric vehicles that are currently available in County Louth; the Government’s plans to make more available in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31355/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are 16 public charging points on the ESB eCars network in Co. Louth presently, not including private home charging points or chargers managed by other network providers, comprising -
- 12 AC 22 kW charging stations (each AC station provides for two charge points), and
- 4 fast charger type (50/43kW).
There are currently no ESB eCars high power, or super, chargers in Co. Louth.
The Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the electric vehicle charging network over the coming years. A draft national charging infrastructure strategy for the development of EV charging infrastructure, covering the crucial period out to 2025 was published for consultation in March. The draft strategy sets out the government’s ambition regarding the delivery of a public EV charging network to support up to 194,000 electric cars and vans by the middle of the decade. Responses and submissions received as part of the consultation are currently being considered in the development of the final Strategy for publication.
Preparations are underway to establish Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI). This Office will play an important role in our transition to zero emission vehicles. It will co-ordinate measures to support the uptake of EVs and the rollout of charge point infrastructure.
As well as the ESB eCars network there are a number of private charge point operators with sites already live in Ireland. Once established, ZEVI will be tasked with developing a single interactive portal for mapping the location and availability of all publicly accessible EV charging points and provide offer a central source of information to EV owners.
10. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Transport if he plans to increase the grants available for fully electric vehicles in order to reach targets for carbon emissions reduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31356/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraElectric vehicles (EVs) are the most prominent transport mitigation measure in the 2021 Climate Action Plan, and Ireland has set an ambitious target of 945,000 EVs on our roads by 2030. This target is challenging but indicates the scale of the transformation that is needed across all sectors if Ireland is to achieve its climate targets in the coming years.
As the Deputy will be aware, a comprehensive suite of measures is available to EV drivers, including purchase grants for private car owners and taxi drivers, VRT relief, reduced tolls, home charger grants, favourable motor and BIK tax rates, as well as a comprehensive charging network.
These measures have collectively contributed to increased take up of EVs in Ireland in recent years, albeit from a low base, to over 58,000 at the end of April.
In addition, the Department convened the Electric Vehicle Policy Pathway (EVPP) Working Group to produce a roadmap to achieving the 2030 EV target. The recommendations of the EVPP Working Group were approved by Government and the full report is available online.
In line with the Group’s recommendations to support the transition to EVs:
- The generous suite of EV supports already in place in Ireland has been retained until at least end-2022. Work is ongoing to identify additional measures to further incentivise EVs and/or disincentivise fossil-fuelled vehicles. Overall, cost-effective, targeted policy supports will continue to be developed and strengthened over the coming years
- Work is under way to establish Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI), as a matter of priority, to co-ordinate the implementation of existing and future EV measures and infrastructure.
Overall, the Department is acutely aware that the cost of electric vehicles remains an issue for many consumers. To this end, electric vehicle policy - including grants - is kept under continuous review with the objective of making low-emission vehicles affordable.
11. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Transport his plans to tackle the lack of supply of electric cars in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31357/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraElectric vehicles (EVs) are the most prominent transport mitigation measure in the 2021 Climate Action Plan and Ireland has set an ambitious target of 945,000 EVs on our roads by 2030. This target is challenging but indicates the scale of the transformation that is needed across all sectors if Ireland is to achieve its climate targets in the coming years.
As the Deputy will be aware, a comprehensive suite of measures is available to EV drivers, including purchase grants for private car owners, purchase grants for eSPSVs, a discounted scheme for EV toll users, and grant schemes to support the purpose and installation of home chargers.
Despite increasing demand from Irish drivers for EVs, the supply of electric vehicles - not just to the Irish market, but internationally - has become increasingly constrained by a number of global supply-side issues. My Department is engaging with the commerical sector in order to identify measures to optimise the supply of such vehicles to private commercial companies operating within the Irish market.
12. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Transport his views on the conversion of the internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles; if his Department has carried out any research into the merits of the practice; if any grant funding is being considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31358/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Transport is aware of initiatives in the area of conversion of internal combustion engine vehicles to electric and is giving the matter active consideration.
Innovations that provide reliable solutions for people who are willing to transition to electric vehicles are to be welcomed, particularly if they provide options for people who might otherwise be unable to afford a new vehicle.
Officials in my Department have engaged with organisations within the motor industry providing an ICE vehicle to EV conversion option. It appears that at this point in time, due to costs and battery size and range, the conversion is not yet feasible of being delivered at scale. There is also a scarcity of suitable batteries due to global supply chain issues.
Once these feasibility issues can be resolved satisfactorily, vehicle conversion will have the potential to offer a viable solution for people who are willing to make the transition to electric vehicles but who may encounter affordability barriers in terms of purchasing a new EV. I have asked my officials to keep in touch with industry stakeholders on this matter.
13. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Finance if he has received and reviewed correspondence from Tipperary-Cahir-Cashel Municipal District concerning the insurance costs incurred by community groups and organisations that host community events and festivals; the efforts his Department and Government are making to address the issue raised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31268/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt the outset, it is important to note that neither I, nor the Central Bank of Ireland have any influence over the pricing or provision of insurance products, as this is a commercial matter. This position is reinforced by the EU legislative framework for insurance (the Solvency II Directive).
Having said that, the Government is acutely aware of the concerns felt by many sectors, including the one highlighted by the Deputy, regarding the cost and availability of insurance, and has therefore prioritized insurance reform. In this regard, the Action Plan for Insurance Reform sets out 66 actions which aim to bring down costs for consumers and business; introduce more competition into the market; prevent fraud and reduce the burden that insurance costs can have on business, community and voluntary organisations. Eighty per cent of the actions are now been delivered, and work is continuing across several Government departments to deliver the remaining key reforms. In particular, reform to the Duty of Care legislation is expected to address issues of “slips, trips and falls” prevalent in high-footfall activities such as festivals and community events.
One development has been the creation of the Office to Promote Competition in the Insurance Market within my Department. The role of the Office, which I chaired, is twofold: to assist in reducing insurance costs, and increasing the availability of cover, by promoting competition in the Irish insurance market. The Office is currently working closely with the IDA to bring new entrants into the Irish insurance market to improve its overall competitiveness and to offer cover in areas which have been identified as ‘pinch-points’ here.
I regularly meet with community groups and representative bodies, in order to understand gaps in terms of the market. As this stakeholder engagement process carries on, I will continue to raise the issue of insurance market ‘pinch-points’ and will restate my concerns in meetings with underwriters and brokers.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to assure the Deputy that securing a more sustainable and competitive market through deepening and widening the supply of insurance in Ireland remains a key policy priority for this Government. In this regard, it is my intention to work with my Government colleagues to ensure that implementation of the Action Plan can have a positive impact on the affordability and availability of insurance for individuals, businesses, community and voluntary groups across Ireland.
14. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Finance if the Government has plans to reduce the taxation on petrol and diesel in order to ease the financial burden on both personal and commercial road users; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31353/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland’s taxation of fuel is governed by European Union law as set out in Directive 2003/96/EC, commonly known as the Energy Tax Directive (ETD). The ETD prescribes minimum tax rates for fuel with which all Member States must comply. ETD provisions on mineral oils are transposed into national law in Finance Act 1999 (as amended). Finance Act 1999 provides for the application of excise duty, in the form of Mineral Oil Tax (MOT), to specified mineral oils, such as petrol, diesel, and kerosene, that are used as motor or heating fuels.
MOT is comprised of a carbon component and a non-carbon component. The carbon component is commonly referred to as carbon tax and the non-carbon component is often referred to as “excise”, “fuel excise” or “fuel duty”. In complying with ETD minimum rates, total MOT rates are taken into account.
In response to the current fuel crisis, I introduced a significant reduction in the MOT rate applying to petrol from 10 March this year. Inclusive of VAT, the reduction in the MOT rate amounts to 20 cents per litre. In addition to this rate change, I also brought forward legislation in Finance Act 2021 to provide for a temporary reduction of 1 cent per litre inclusive of VAT to MOT on petrol. This reduction came into effect on 1 April. I took this step to partially offset the expected rise in fuel costs arising from an increase in the Biofuel Obligation for transport fuels proposed by my colleague the Minister for Transport. Both rate cuts will remain in place until 11 October this year. MOT rates on petrol since Budget night last year are summarised in the table below, along with comparisons with the ETD minimum rate.
|
Petrol rates/1,000L from |
MOT non-carbon |
MOT carbon |
Total MOT |
ETD minimum |
MOT > ETD minimum by |
|
13 October 2021 |
€541.84 |
€94.87 |
€636.71 |
€359.00 |
€277.71 |
|
10 March 2022 |
€379.24 |
€94.87 |
€474.11 |
€359.00 |
€115.11 |
|
1 April 2022 |
€371.11 |
€94.87 |
€465.98 |
€359.00 |
€106.98 |
Regarding MOT on auto-diesel, I introduced a rate reduction of 15 cents inclusive of VAT from 10 March. A further reduction of 1 cent per litre inclusive of VAT was applied from 1 April. MOT rates on auto-diesel from October 13 last year to date are summarised in the table below, along with comparisons with the ETD minimum rate. Current rates will remain in place until 11 October this year.
|
Auto-diesel rates/1,000L from |
MOT non-carbon |
MOT carbon |
Total MOT |
Effective MOT incl. DRS |
ETD minimum |
MOT rate > ETD min. by |
Effective MOT > ETD minimum by |
|
13 October 2021 |
€425.72 |
€109.74 |
€535.46 |
€460.46 |
€330.00 |
€205.46 |
€130.46 |
|
10 March 2022 |
€303.77 |
€109.74 |
€413.51 |
€338.51 |
€330.00 |
€83.51 |
€8.51 |
|
1 April 2022 |
€295.64 |
€109.74 |
€405.38 |
€330.38 |
€330.00 |
€75.38 |
€0.38 |
The Diesel Rebate Scheme (DRS) was introduced in 2013 with the aim of providing support to road haulage and bus transport operators when the retail price of diesel is relatively high. The DRS operates on a sliding scale basis, whereby a partial rebate of MOT is available when the retail price of diesel exceeds €1.00 per litre excluding VAT. The repayment rate increases gradually as the retail price increases, up to a maximum repayment rate of 7.5 cents per litre/€75.00 per 1,000 litres. At current retail prices the repayment rate is at this maximum.
It is important to note that the effective MOT rate on auto-diesel must be considered in ensuring compliance with the ETD. The effective rate includes the maximum MOT rate repayable under the Diesel Rebate Scheme (DRS), currently €75.00 per 1,000 litres. The current MOT rate on auto-diesel is €405.38 per 1,000 litres, which is €75.38 above the ETD minimum. However, when the DRS is taken into account, the effective MOT rate is €0.38 per 1,000 litres, or 0.038 cents per litre, above the ETD minimum, meaning that any material reduction in the effective MOT rate would be incompatible with EU law.
15. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider the introduction of additional specific income tax rebates for families placing their children in the care of registered providers given that childcare costs are placing significant burdens particularly on young and middle-income families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31033/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI acknowledge the cost pressures on parents with young children. In recognition of these pressures, a number of support measures are already in place to ease the burden on working parents. These include various tax-exempted financial supports provided by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to assist parents to offset the costs of early learning and childcare and measures such as the Working Family Payment provided by the Minister for Social Protection.
Budget 2022 announced the introduction of a number of direct expenditure measures to support parents in respect of childcare costs, including:
- From May 2022, hours spent in the Early Childhood Care and Education pre-school programme or school will no longer be deducted from a family's entitlement to subsidised hours of care under the National Childcare Scheme.
- From May 2022, a Transition Fund for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare providers will require participating providers to ensure no increase on parental fees from the September 2021 levels. This will be replaced in September 2022 by a new Core Funding stream which requires participating providers to maintain their fee levels at or below September 2021 levels.
- From September 2022, the universal subsidy of the National Childcare Scheme will be extended to children aged up to 15.
These measures will ensure that the full affordability benefits of the National Childcare Scheme and the Early Childhood Care and Education programme are felt by parents.
With regard to taxation measures, and separate to the above:
- The Accelerated Capital Allowances scheme for Childcare Services was introduced to encourage employers to develop childcare facilities onsite for their employees. www.revenue.ie/en/tax-professionals/tdm/income-tax-capital-gains-tax-corporation-tax/part-09/09-01-11.pdf
- Individuals who provide child-minding services in their own home may claim childcare services relief each year, provided that they do not receive more than €15,000 income per annum from the child-minding income. www.revenue.ie/en/personal-tax-credits-reliefs-and-exemptions/children/childcare-services/index.aspx
- A Single Person Child Carer tax credit of €1,650 is available as well as an additional standard rate band of €4,000. This credit and band is payable to any single person with a child under 18 years of age or over 18 years of age if in full time education or permanently incapacitated. The primary claimant may relinquish this credit and increase in the rate band to a secondary claimant with whom the child resides for not less than 100 days in the year. www.revenue.ie/en/personal-tax-credits-reliefs-and-exemptions/children/single-person-child-carer-credit/index.aspx
In relation to the specific question raised by the Deputy, I do not currently have any plans to introduce income tax relief on the cost of childcare along the lines he suggests.
As Minister for Finance, I receive many requests for the introduction of new tax reliefs and the extension of existing ones. In considering these, I must be mindful of the public finances and the many demands on the Exchequer and I must have regard to budgetary constraints and the equitable treatment of all tax-payers. Tax reliefs, no matter how worthwhile in themselves, reduce the tax base and make general reform of the tax system that much more difficult.
16. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Finance his plans to combat the exodus of small and accidental landlords from the private rented sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31034/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the Deputy's question, overall policy responsibility for housing policy, including the rented residential sector, is a matter in the first instance for my colleague the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I am only in a position to respond in respect of taxation measures.
Also, as the Deputy will be aware, the Government's strategy to address the various policy challenges relating to housing is as set out in ‘Housing for All’. Under this strategy, my Department is committed to review the options presented in the Report of the Working Group on the Tax and Fiscal Treatment of Rental Accommodation Providers (2017). A copy of the 2017 report is available at: www.gov.ie/en/collection/51d1c-budget-2018/. I understand that the review is in hand and, in keeping with the ‘Housing for All’ commitment, is expected to be completed by Q3 2022.
Proposals for new tax incentive measures are assessed in accordance with my Department's Tax Expenditure Guidelines. These guidelines make clear that it is important that any policy proposal which involves tax expenditures should only occur in limited circumstances. In particular, they provide that a tax-based incentive should only be considered where it would be more efficient than a direct expenditure intervention.
Ireland’s past experience with tax incentives in the property sector strongly suggests the need for a cautionary stance when considering State intervention.
17. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Finance his views on the extension of the 9% tax rate applying to hospitality sector given the significant headwinds faced by the sector in terms of rising energy costs and the running out of Covid employment supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31035/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the 9% rate for these industries was reintroduced in Budget 2021 from 1 November 2020 to 31 December 2021 at an estimated cost of €401m. This measure was initially extended in Budget 2022 to 31 August 2022 at a further estimated cost of €251m. I have now extended this measure for a further six months. The 9% VAT rate will therefore remain for these sectors until 28 February 2023 at an additional estimated cost of €250m. No further extension to this measure is envisaged so the 13.5% rate will apply to these sectors from 1 March 2023.
This extension will cover the same goods and services as the original measure, restaurant supplies, tourist accommodation, cinemas, theatres, museums, historic houses, open farms, amusement parks, and hairdressing, as well as certain printed matter such as brochures, leaflets, programmes and catalogues.
The further extension reflects the fact that the tourism and hospitality sectors were among those most impacted by the public health restrictions put in place throughout the pandemic. Through no fault of their own, bars, hotels and restaurants had to close on multiple occasions in response to the public health crisis. This measure will provide further support to the tourism and hospitality sectors over the busy November/December period and into the early New Year.
18. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance the additional revenue raised from capital gains tax and capital acquisitions tax respectively when the rate increased from 25% to 30% and then to 33% for each year from 2012 to date in 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31051/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am informed by Revenue that the net receipts from Capital Gains Tax (CGT) and Capital Acquisitions Tax (CAT), at the applicable rate, are set out in the table below. The table also sets out the estimated receipts if an alternative CAT and CGT rate of 25% had applied from 2012. The Deputy should note that these estimates are straight line calculations and do not take account of any changes in behaviour that may have arisen from the changed tax rates.
The estimates for CAT receipts at the alternative rate take account of the CAT group thresholds that applied for that year.
|
Year |
CGT Receipts at Applicable Rate €m |
Estimated CGT Receipts at Alternative 25% Rate €m |
Estimated Difference between Applicable CGT Rate and Alternative 25% Rate €m |
CAT Receipts at Applicable Rate €m |
Estimated CAT Receipts at Alternative 25% Rate €m |
Estimated Difference between Applicable CAT Rate and Alternative 25% Rate €m |
|
2012 |
413 |
313 |
100 |
283 |
236 |
47 |
|
2013 |
367 |
278 |
89 |
279 |
211 |
68 |
|
2014 |
539 |
408 |
131 |
356 |
270 |
86 |
|
2015 |
692 |
524 |
168 |
400 |
303 |
97 |
|
2016 |
819 |
620 |
199 |
415 |
314 |
101 |
|
2017 |
826 |
626 |
200 |
460 |
348 |
112 |
|
2018 |
996 |
755 |
241 |
523 |
396 |
127 |
|
2019 |
1,076 |
815 |
261 |
522 |
395 |
127 |
|
2020 |
950 |
720 |
230 |
505 |
383 |
122 |
|
2021 |
1,645 |
1246 |
399 |
582 |
441 |
141 |
|
To 31 May 2022 |
369 |
280 |
89 |
104 |
79 |
25 |
The figures provided for CAT and CGT receipts in 2022 are provisional and may be subject to revision.
19. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to recent increases in holiday travel insurance charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31142/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFirstly, it is important to point out that neither I, nor the Central Bank of Ireland, can direct the pricing or provision of insurance products. This is a commercial matter for individual companies to assess on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with their own calculation of various factors, including risk. This position is reinforced by the EU Single Market framework for insurance (the Solvency II Directive) which expressly prohibits Member States from any such intervention.
I am aware of recent increases in the cost of travel insurance. Furthermore, Government acknowledges the strong concerns felt by many groups regarding the cost and availability of such cover. While recognising that there is no single domestic legislative or policy fix to these and other insurance related issues, this Government has nonetheless moved to help address them through the implementation of the Action Plan for Insurance Reform. This sets out 66 actions to bring down costs for consumers and business; introduce more competition into the market; prevent fraud and reduce the burden that insurance costs can have on business, community and voluntary organisations. As the Deputy may be aware, the Government published the Second Action Plan Implementation Report in March, which showed that 80% of the actions were being delivered. Our focus has now shifted towards delivering the remaining aspects of the Action Plan, most notably rebalancing the duty of care. Proposals for this important reform were approved by Cabinet last month.
One part of the Insurance reform agenda is the establishment of the Office to Promote Competition in the Insurance Market, which I, as Minister of State for Financial Services, chair. My officials have also been working with the IDA to leverage the achievements of the reform agenda with overseas insurers. The IDA has commenced a targeted and multi-phased engagement process with several insurance providers and work is underway on this initiative.in order to encourage new capacity enter the market.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to assure the Deputy that securing a more sustainable and competitive market through deepening and widening the supply of insurance in Ireland remains a key policy priority for this Government. In this regard, it is my intention to work with my colleagues to ensure that implementation of the Action Plan can have a positive impact on the affordability and availability of insurance across all market segments.
20. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Finance when the tax strategy papers are expected to be finalised and published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31287/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that the Tax Strategy Group (TSG) is in place since the early 1990's and is chaired by the Department of Finance with membership comprising senior officials and political advisers from a number of Civil Service Departments and Offices. Papers on various options for tax policy changes are prepared annually for the Group by Department of Finance officials. Papers relating to PRSI and social welfare issues are also prepared for the Group by the Department of Social Protection.
I expect that the Tax Strategy Group will meet in mid July, with the TSG 2022 papers published very shortly afterwards.
It is important to note that the Tax Strategy Group is not a decision-making body and the papers produced are a list of options and issues. The Tax Strategy Group papers are published in advance of the Budget to facilitate informed discussion. They form part of the overall Budgetary and Finance Bill process which now includes the National Economic Dialogue, the Budget Oversight Committee and the provision of pre-Budget submissions and engagement with specific groups and individuals.
21. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Finance when the Commission on taxation and welfare will complete its work; when it expects to publish its work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31288/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Commission on Taxation and Welfare was established in June 2021. It has been asked to independently consider how best the taxation and welfare systems can support economic activity and promote increased employment and prosperity in a resilient, inclusive and sustainable way, while ensuring that there are sufficient resources available to meet the costs of the public services and supports in the medium and longer term.
A public consultation entitled “Your Vision, Our Future” was launched by the Commission in October 2021 and a number of stakeholder events were undertaken earlier this year including an open public meeting entitled, “Our Future Tax and Welfare”, and stakeholder forum on March 3rd and 4th.
The Commission is currently finalising its work and is due to submit its report to the Minister for Finance by July 2022.
22. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when civil service mileage rates will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31028/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMotor travel rates were last reviewed in 2017 and the current rates are set out in Circular 05/2017: Motor Travel Rates.
The rates are currently being reviewed by my officials and work is ongoing on devising new rates reflecting current input costs. Proposals for revised rates will be discussed, as per existing agreements, with staff representative associations.
It is anticipated that discussions will take place shortly with staff representative associations with a view to seeking early agreement.
