I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 31 together. At the outset, the Deputies should note that the Government and I are conscious of the implications of fuel costs for all sectors of society. This is reflected, as I said earlier, in the fact that, in 2022, in light of the acute impact rising prices were having on households and business, the Government provided for excise rate reductions in the order of 21 cent, 16 cent and 5.4 cent on a litre of petrol, auto diesel and marked gas oil, respectively. These tempora…

I thank the Deputies for their comments. Deputy Nash can certainly use the language he has used about it being a Government-imposed planned increase. He should also acknowledge that a Government cut the excise, and what is at play on 1 April and 1 August is a restoration of that reduction. However, I have acknowledged that the situation is volatile. Deputy Doherty raised the case earlier of the garage owners around the Border area. It is a valid point. It is one I am conscious of. It is one that I will take into co…

I acknowledge the points that Deputies Nash, Harkin, Pádraig O'Sullivan, Doherty and Danny Healy-Rae have made in respect of this issue. I have given a commitment to keep it under review, in particular as we move through the month of July. I acknowledge and accept that this is a significant issue for forecourt retailers in Border counties. I also acknowledge that there is a wider economic impact. We have had a cross-Border dynamic in both directions depending on the relative strength or weakness of the currencies, …

I thank Deputy Doherty for raising this issue again. As the Deputy will be aware, the overall Government response on the problems associated with defective concrete blocks is being led by my colleague, the Minister for housing. His Department is engaging with impacted householders and relevant stakeholders and has put in place a scheme of financial support to help affected homeowners. On the issue of bridging finance products, I understand that some homeowners have identified a potential challenge with funding the …

There is no reason banks today cannot step in and provide bridging finance to the homeowners concerned. The Ministers, Deputies McConalogue and Darragh O'Brien, and I have discussed this issue again in recent days. As Deputy Doherty knows, the issue with a State guarantee is that it will require legislation and there are potential state-aid issues so I want to find a faster way of getting this resolved. There is no barrier preventing banks from stepping in and providing bridging finance to the homeowners concerned,…

I want to find a way of getting progress for the homeowners as quickly as possible. I know the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are examining the very issue Deputy Doherty raises about the nature of the payments and the early payments, the speed of them and so on. We could go down the road of a State guarantee and all that comes with that - legislation, potential state aid issues and examination. Like Deputy Doherty, I want speed of execution. I want to …

Section 22 of the Finance Act 2022 removed the difference in treatment between PRSAs and occupational pension schemes in relation to the funding rules, by abolishing the BIK charge on employer contributions to an employee's PRSA. In addition, employer contributions to an employee's PRSA are no longer counted towards an employee's age related and salary percentage limits on tax deductible contributions. These changes were recommended by the interdepartmental pension reform and taxation group, IDPRTG, with a view to …

This was a policy decision that was taken following careful examination by the interdepartmental group. The final conclusion of the report was that the differential treatment of the PRSAs for funding purposes should be abolished and employer contributions to PRSAs should not be subject to BIK. The interdepartmental report was subject to a public consultation. The responses to the consultation showed general support for the removal of the BIK charge on employer contributions to PRSAs. Section 22 of the Act aimed to …

I am aware of the proposal made by the society at the time. That was considered. A number of alternative options were explored, including an additional separate BIK limit for employer contributions to PRSAs and the new PRSA product mimicking the salary-based limits on occupational pension schemes to be used where an employer wished to make contributions to an employee's PRSA. However, both of these options were ultimately rejected. While an additional BIK-free limit for employer and employee contributions could res…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 18 and 40 together. The Deputies will be aware that the final report of the national disability inclusion strategy, NDIS, transport working group's review of mobility and transport supports, including the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme, DDS, endorsed proposals for a modern, fit-for-purpose vehicle adaptation scheme in line with international best practice that would replace the DDS. The working group was chaired by the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and led …

While I do not have data on the rate of success in the appeals, I can say the volume of activity is much improved and 334 appellants have been assessed since the appeals process recommenced in December. I do not have the split - I am sure it can be provided through parliamentary questions and so on - but it represents a lot of progress. I think well over 1,000 people were on the waiting list at one time. To be fair to the members of the appeals board that I appointed, they are doing a lot of hard work and are makin…

I thank the Deputies. I got the appeals board back up and running. It is now working its way through the backlog. The latest information I have from the secretary of the board is that 834 appellants were on the waiting list as of 21 February. As I said, since the appeals process was reconstituted, 334 appeals have been assessed. The board has prioritised the waiting list using clinically based criteria. To answer Deputy Harkin's question, it is administering the existing scheme. It is a tax-based scheme. That is th…

I understand that the Deputy is referring to the film industry stakeholder forum that took place on 8 February this year, convened by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and in which I am aware the Deputy was a participant, as he said. The forum was attended by a broad range of stakeholders, including representative bodies from the Irish audiovisual sector, unions, Departments and Government agencies. I am informed that the focus of the forum was to ensure that everyone attending w…

Is that to sign?

I move: “That the Bill be now read a Second Time.” As announced at budget 2024, this Bill will provide the basis for two new funds: the future Ireland fund and the infrastructure, climate and nature fund. It will also provide for the dissolution of the National Reserve Fund. The Government’s approach to developing these two funds is based on the assumption that a large proportion of the increase in corporation tax seen in recent years is potentially windfall in nature, namely not linked to economic activity within …

It is not being rushed. It is taking weeks.

It is a great slogan.

I thank Deputy Durkan for raising the issue and for his support. I also point out that within the legislation there will be the power for the Central Bank to set customer service standards. Therefore, the issue he raises about having to go to two, three or perhaps four ATMs in order to find one that is working will be dealt with, because for the first time they will be registered and regulated. I will not have the power as Minister to say that there must be an ATM in a particular location-----

-----but the Deputy will be glad to know that there is a local deficiency test within the legislation which he can raise with the Central Bank.

I acknowledge that the Deputy raised this matter in the House last week when we were bringing through legislation. It is important that all consumers have equal access to the FSPO. We are engaging with the ombudsman on its interpretation of the legislation and also with legal advisers to identify a way forward so that the gap that has been identified is fixed. As the Deputy will be aware, we have 2015 legislation, which was strengthened in 2018. That was legislation I brought forward in opposition that was supporte…