29 September 2020 Written Answers. The following are questions tabled by Members for written response and the ministerial replies as received on the day from the Departments [unrevised]. Note: Ministerial and Departmental titles have been updated in the Question text in anticipa- tion of the relevant Government orders to give legal effect to theTaoiseach’s announcement in Dáil Éireann on 27 June 2020. Questions Nos. 1 to 9, inclusive, answered orally. Questions Nos. 10 to 24, inclusive, resubmitted. Question No. 25 answered with Question No. 9. Questions Nos. 26 to 28, inclusive, resubmitted. Questions Nos. 29 to 39, inclusive, answered orally. 29/09/2020WRB00250EU Budget Contribution 29/09/2020WRB0030040. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the net contribution Ireland is expected to make as part of the European recovery fund; his views on the affordability of the contribution; and if Ireland will be expected to contribute the second highest percentage of its national GDP to the EU. [18478/20] 29/09/2020WRB00400Minister for Finance (Deputy Paschal Donohoe): As the Deputy will be aware, on 21st July 2020, Heads of State and Government reached agreement on the Post-2020 MFF and re- covery plan Next Generation EU, totalling €1.82 trillion. Difficult discussions took place over four days, but the Government has welcomed this agreement. It is a fair and balanced outcome and demonstrates that Europe can work collectively to deal with this once-in-a-generation cri- sis. Council conclusions set out the leaders’ agreement for the European Commission to borrow €750 billion, supporting Member States with €390 billion in grants and €360 billion in loans. Agreement was also reached on a new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) from 2021 to 2027, totalling €1.074 trillion, which will support rural and regional development, and the transformation of our economies in line with the climate transition, research and development, and digital agendas. Ireland has been a net contributor to the EU Budget since 2014, and this position is set to grow further over the course of the next MFF. In May 2020, the European Commission pro- duced a needs assessment underpinning the proposed Next Generation EU. In this needs assess- ment the European Commission estimated that Ireland’s contributions to the Next Generation EU package would in the region of approximately €18.7 billion over the next thirty years and estimated that Ireland would potentially receive a total of up to €2 billion in grants, with a fur- ther €1 billion in loans available up to 2024 should Ireland decide to borrow same. However, 1 Questions - Written Answers these estimates were overtaken by the European Council agreement of 21 July 2020. Ireland’s contributions to the EU Budget are projected to increase considerably over the coming period in all scenarios as a result of economic growth in recent years. Irish contribu- tions to the EU budget are expected to rise over the coming MFF period from approximately €3 billion in 2021, to approximately €4 billion in 2027, an average of €3.5 billion. Exact contributions to the repayment of Next Generation EU borrowing are yet to be de- termined but are expected to be significant, and will depend significantly on what new own resources arrangements are agreed. It is not possible to give an accurate overall figure until we make a decision on new own resources at EU level. At this time of crisis, the Covid recovery funds are needed now, and will be received by Member States up to 2026, but will be paid back over 30+ years. These repayments are not expected to begin for a number of years yet, and the contribution Ireland will make will depend on our share of the overall EU budget over the course of those repayments. Questions Nos. 41 and 42 answered orally. 29/09/2020WRB00550Tax Code 29/09/2020WRB0060043. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance his views on a recent Central Bank report on household wealth; his views on the growth in the net wealth of the top 20% of house- holds from €560,000 to €853,000; and if he will consider adjusting taxation measures to in- crease revenue from the top 10% quintile of households to help fund the Covid-19 recovery. [26798/20] 29/09/2020WRB00700Minister for Finance (Deputy Paschal Donohoe): I understand that the Deputy is refer- ring to the recently published Central Bank report “Household Wealth: What is it, who has it, and why it matters”. This report presents the results from the Household Finance and Consumption Survey (HFCS) 2018, which collects data on households’ financial positions. That survey was un- dertaken prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, but in time will provide a starting point against which to benchmark impact of the pandemic on household finance positions and consumption patterns. It reports that the survey data indicates an improved financial position and resilience for households prior to the COVID-19 crisis when compared to the situation leading into 2008. I am informed that the HCFS indicates that household net wealth grew by over €76,000 for the median household, or by 74 per cent, to €179,200 from 2013 to 2018, driven primarily by house price growth and declining mortgage debt. The Central Bank report also highlights that a significant portion of wealth for most households was tied up in the family home, and that increases in house prices (74% increase for the period) was a major factor in the reported increase in household wealth. This net wealth grew across the entire wealth distribution, while inequality, as measured by the Gini coefficient, fell over the same period. The decline in nega- tive equity from 33 per cent in 2013 to 4 per cent in 2018 was a key driver of this. Whilst the net wealth of the top 20 per cent of households increased by approximately 52 per cent from €560,000 to €853,000, the relative share of net wealth held by the top 10 per cent of households - which stood at 50.4 per cent in 2018 - decreased by 2.6 per cent from 2013, and is 1.3 per cent lower than the equivalent figure for the Eurozone as a whole. My officials continue to examine all issues related to taxation, including wealth taxation, on an on-going basis, and they and I will monitor and consider any additional information and 2 29 September 2020 data, such as that in the new report, that comes to light. I do not, however, have any plans to introduce wealth tax measures along the lines of those sought by the Deputy.” Question No. 44 answered orally. 29/09/2020WRB00850Covid-19 Pandemic 29/09/2020WRB0090045. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Finance if persons that received the tem- porary wage subsidy scheme will be liable for a lump sum of tax at the end of the year despite only receiving the maximum of their net pay through the scheme; and if he will make a state- ment on the matter. [25022/20] 29/09/2020WRB0100058. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Finance if all persons that received the pandemic unemployment payment on their return to work remain on a week one basis emer- gency tax for the remainder of 2020 which leaves them with a much reduced wage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19000/20] 29/09/2020WRB0110067. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Finance the tax liability on the pan- demic unemployment payment and the planned means of recovering tax owed by claimants in view of the fact the payment is not taxed at source. [19027/20] 29/09/2020WRB01200Minister for Finance (Deputy Paschal Donohoe): I propose to take Questions Nos. 45, 58 and 67 together. As the Deputies will be aware, Revenue set out last Friday how any tax liability arising on the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) and the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) will be dealt with. While the expected tax liability should be modest in most cases, the position as set out by Revenue is very welcome and is a further demonstration of how we will continue to work to mi- nimise financial hardship to the greatest extent possible on taxpayers challenged by COVID-19. While most income is liable to income tax and the Universal Social Charge (USC) and is deducted in real-time as and when the person is paid, the TWSS and PUP payments were not taxed in real-time and are instead liable to income tax and USC at the end of this year. To minimise the amount of income tax due, if any, on PUP payments at the end of the year, Revenue placed all recipients of the PUP on the ‘week 1 basis’ of taxation for the remainder of the year so as to “preserve” unused tax credits that can then be used to offset any income tax liabilities that arise at year end. Revenue has provided assurances that individuals will be given the opportunity to opt to fully or partially pay any income tax liabilities that still arises following the allocation of un- used credits and where individuals do not opt to fully or partially pay, Revenue will collect the liability by reducing tax credits over 4 years, interest free, to minimise any hardship. The reduction of tax credits will start in January 2022. The week 1 basis of taxation means that where an employee returns to work or takes up a new employment following a period while in receipt of the PUP or the TWSS, an employee’s tax is calculated on a ‘non-cumulative basis’.