Results 281-300 of 1,053,850 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Brendan Griffin OR speaker:Claire Kerrane OR speaker:Gerald Nash OR speaker:Martin Heydon OR speaker:Darragh O'Brien OR speaker:Pearse Doherty OR speaker:Emer Higgins)

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)

Pearse Doherty: With respect, the Minister set it out to the media a couple of days ago. Why can he not give the same commitment to the budgetary oversight committee, to which he is accountable? Is it because those who earn €40,000 will not benefit to the tune of €1,000, in the same way that they did not benefit last year and the Minister does not want to puncture the spin of the Government...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)

Pearse Doherty: That is not the question I asked. I did not ask whether it was progressive or not. I asked if the Minister can give a commitment to average workers on €40,000. Will they get €1,000? He was happy to spin that at his party's think-in but he is unable, under questioning, to say the same thing here because he did not do it last year and is unlikely to do it this year. Is that...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)

Pearse Doherty: The Minister is unwilling to give the commitment that he gave to the media because he did not do it last year and is unlikely to do it this year. Let me ask the Minister another question-----

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)

Pearse Doherty: No they did not. The average worker on €40,000 did not. That is a mistruth that the Minister is presenting to this committee and he knows it. The Minister put out a press release saying that he is going to increase the standard fund threshold to €2.8 million. We are talking here about gold-plated pensions. At this point, someone can retire on €72,000 or...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)

Pearse Doherty: How much will it cost?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)

Pearse Doherty: The Minister put out a press release saying that he is increasing the standard fund threshold to €2.8 million. I want to know how much that policy costs.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)

Pearse Doherty: Does the Minister know how much the policy costs?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)

Pearse Doherty: How much does that cost?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)

Pearse Doherty: The number of people who actually had a pension pot above €2 million in the last year for which data is available from Revenue is just over 230. These are gold-plated pensions that are costing hundreds of millions of euro. Ordinary taxpayers, people who are working in Tesco at the minute, are paying taxes to subsidise these pensions. The Minister not only wants to see these...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)

Gerald Nash: Deputy Doherty has made the point well. I will ask the Minister to respond and then I will move on to the next speaker because we are over time.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)

Pearse Doherty: The last time Fianna Fáil was in government, yes.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)

Pearse Doherty: No, the taxpayer should not be subsidising pensions that are in excess of €80,000. That is what the Minister is planning to do.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)

Gerald Nash: Point well made. I am moving to Deputy Durkan.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)

Gerald Nash: Thank you, Deputy Durkan, you are perfectly fine. I am just conscious that we are running a little over. We have a number of speakers who are anxious to contribute. The Ministers might take one minute to respond.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)

Gerald Nash: Briefly, as we are a little over time.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)

Gerald Nash: I will conclude this element of the discussion and move on to the next speaker. I call Deputy Michael Healy-Rae.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)

Gerald Nash: I thank Deputy Healy-Rae very much. Would either Minister like to respond to the observations made by the Deputy?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)

Gerald Nash: I will make some observations and ask some questions. There has been a great deal of media focus on the position the Minister, Deputy Chambers, seems to have adopted on the introduction of the residential zoned land tax. Has the Minister resolved the reported difficulties with the Green Party?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)

Gerald Nash: Will the residential zoned land tax be introduced at that time it is supposed to be introduced?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)

Gerald Nash: I assume the Minister has done considerable analysis with his officials on the potential revenue and has liaised with local authorities on this.