I am meeting every one of them individually in the next couple of weeks.

I welcome the opportunity as Minister of State in the Department of Finance to speak on budget 2022. I confirm that I have handed out copies of my script for circulation to Deputies in the House. I will highlight a number of ways in which this budget will deliver for workers, families and communities around Ireland and also, specifically, in County Laois, my own county. On tax measures, there will be an increase in the standard rate band by €1,500 and an increase also in the personal tax credit of €50. On health, w…

I am pleased to have the opportunity to appear before the Seanad today to contribute to the debate on budget 2022, which the Minister for Finance presented to Dáil Éireann a few hours ago. This year's budget has been prepared against a much more positive backdrop than the situation we faced this time last year. Forecasts of GDP growth in the economy have been revised upwards to around 15.5% this year, with modified domestic demand – a better measure of domestic conditions – expected to grow by about 5.25%. We are n…

I have welcomed the opportunity to listen to the contributions of Senators for more than two hours. I kept note as best I could of all of the contributors. It is worth noting that 18 Senators contributed, 13 of whom were Government Senators. That says a great deal. I have been a Member of the Dáil for many years. I remember a time when on budget day voting in the Dáil could go on up to 12 midnight but these days the Dáil sometimes adjourns at 7.30 p.m. or 8 p.m. because the Opposition has nothing to say. We are in …

We had an extensive discussion on this Bill before the recess, with many Deputies contributing. For technical reasons, we could not complete Second Stage sooner. We had to check a number of issues with the Central Bank before I was in a position to deliver my closing reply. I am now in a position to do so, having clarified a number of matters with the bank during the summer. I thank Deputies for contributing to this debate and for their support for the Bill. It is generally accepted that there is a need to improve …

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Reform and Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Orders 95(3)( a ) and 181(1).

I have been asked to take this on behalf of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment who cannot be here this morning. I thank Deputy Cowen for raising this important issue in the Tullamore-Killeigh area of County Offaly, as it relates to a long-standing business there. I also acknowledge Deputy Stanley for raising the matter, which affects the Laois side of the constituency because Killeigh is quite close to the county boundary. It was a shock to all of us to learn of the fire at the Glenisk yogurt factory…

I thank Senator Lombard for raising the issue of the phase 2 work on the Bandon southern relief road. I am representing the Minister for Transport who has responsibility for overall policy and securing Exchequer funding for the national roads programme. Under the Roads Acts, and in line with the national development plan, NDP, the planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TIl, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. TIl ultimately d…

Deputy Cowen mentioned that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine should have a role as well as the local authorities in assisting in every way. I am quite sure there will be absolute determination in all Departments, including that my Department and Enterprise Ireland will assist. On Deputy Stanley's comments, as I mentioned earlier, it is hoped there will be no job losses as a result of this occurrence but there may be some short- or medium-term issues to be dealt with. The employment services and St…

I understand the point the Senator is making about the revised national development plan, which is scheduled to be published in early October. It is imminent. I am not privy to whether specific road projects will feature on a long list of individual projects or if there will be overall funding and thematic approaches, with the line Departments and TII then working out the specifics. I am not privy to the nature of the document which will come out next week. I will pass on the Senator's views on the matter to the Mi…

I thank Senator McGreehan for raising this matter. I am replying on behalf of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, with regard to incentivising the purchase of electric vehicles as a sustainable option under the primary medical certificate. It is clear from listening to Senator McGreehan that she has done detailed work on her presentation and has worked on it with other people. The Senator is so well informed she could have almost written the Minister's script. That is a credit to the research and work s…

I thank the Senator for her second contribution. Budget 2021 introduced a new VRT charging table which reduced the rate for low-emission vehicles. Battery-electric vehicles now have zero tailpipe emissions and are therefore not subject to the nitrogen oxide surcharge. This, coupled with the relief, means that many electric vehicles end up paying no VRT at all. This complements a broad range of supports for battery-electric vehicles, which includes no taxable benefit-in-kind up to a value of €50,000, the Sustainable…

I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. Tomorrow I am meeting the organisation the Deputy mentioned along with Deputies from the constituency. The Government has issued an action plan for insurance. A key element has been the introduction of the new personal injury guidelines which came into effect before the summer. The Minister for Justice will produce a report on their implementation at the end of this year. I am chairing the office that is promoting competition in the insurance area. I have met IDA Ireland t…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. He will be aware that this is a tax and customs issue which brings into the responsibility of the Department of Finance as the parent Department involved. Revenue has provided some general information that will help to explain the general situation as described by the Deputy. What he has outlined to the House certainly happened. There is no question about that. I will outline some of the background to the issue. Revenue is Ireland's tax and customs administration and is r…

The issue of domain addresses is separate and I thank the Deputy for highlighting it. I inquired today about the phone calls and text messages people are getting about packages being delivered where the caller or correspondent claims to need information. I am told that issue is unconnected. It is a coincidence that a lot of it is happening at this time. This issue affects everybody importing who has to file a customs declaration. That is why the Department of Finance is involved. The main operator of importing a pa…

At the outset, I wish to acknowledge the issues raised by Deputies Whitmore and Brady regarding the difficulties being experienced by businesses in the leisure and outdoor recreational sector in obtaining public liability insurance, including the specific company that has been mentioned by the Deputies in the north Wicklow area. Such SMEs play a key role from an economic perspective and serve to enrich the quality of life in communities. The company mentioned by the Deputies did that for thousands of children and k…

As the Deputy has brought up the issue, I will not let it go, because what the Deputy said is utterly inconsistent with what his party spokesperson on finance said here last night. That is a reflection of the increased competition that we are seeing. However, both Deputies will know that I cannot comment on individual cases and speak to the insurance costs of individual companies due to many relevant factors that I am not privy to, such as the existence of open claims or other material information to the risk being…

I will conclude as quickly as I can. I understand the comments being made. There a few points on which I would like to elaborate. Everybody knows that the insurance industry is regulated by the Central Bank. Nobody in the Department of Finance is trying to tell the Central Bank and individual companies how to run their individual policies. The Deputy across from me now would be the first to say that I was interfering in an area in which I should not interfere. That said, we want to ensure that the industry works th…

Seeking to secure a more sustainable and competitive market through deepening and widening the supply of insurance in Ireland remains a key policy priority for the Government. It is my intention, along with the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, to work to ensure that the commitments outlined in the programme for Government are progressed in accordance with the Action Plan for Insurance Reform. One of the key achievements of the action plan was the adoption of the new personal injuries' guidelines in April this year, which …

I thank the Deputy for highlighting the situation for motor insurance policies and for van drivers. The man or woman with the van, as the case may be, is a key priority for the Government because they are the small employers or self-employed people who are the backbone of many industries in locations throughout the country. What I will say is that, in July, before the recess, we met with PIAB and it said the early indications of settlements at that stage were they were being implemented by the insurance companies a…