DÁIL ÉIREANN Déardaoin, 26 Meán Fómhair, 2019 Thursday, 26th September, 2019 CEISTEANNA QUESTIONS 70 DÁIL ÉIREANN 3491 Déardaoin, 26 Meán Fómhair, 2019 Thursday, 26th September, 2019 CEISTEANNA I gCOMHAIR FREAGRA Ó BHÉAL QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER CEISTEANNA AR SONRAÍODH UAIN DÓIBH QUESTIONS NOMINATED FOR PRIORITY Chun an Aire Airgeadais: To the Minister for Finance. 1. To ask the Minister for Finance the status of the preparations for a no-deal Brexit; the further steps he plans to take in the coming weeks to prepare for this scenario; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Michael McGrath. [39206/19] 2. To ask the Minister for Finance his plans to implement further reforms in view of the rising costs of insurance for many sectors and the escalating crisis in the market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Pearse Doherty. [39204/19] 3. To ask the Minister for Finance the steps being taken to protect businesses and voluntary organisations from increasing insurance costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Michael McGrath. [39207/19] 4. To ask the Minister for Finance if Budget 2020 will be based on the assumption of a no-deal Brexit; his plans to make provision for timely and targeted measures for the sectors most exposed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Michael Collins. [39218/19] 5. To ask the Minister for Finance when the review of the special assignee relief programme will be completed; and his views on the fairness of operating such a scheme. — Róisín Shortall. [39219/19] CEISTEANNA EILE OTHER QUESTIONS Chun an Aire Airgeadais: To the Minister for Finance. 6. To ask the Minister for Finance if he has considered the ruling of the Ombudsman regarding primary medical certificates (details supplied); the reason his Department has not made relevant amendments after the interventions of the Ombudsman; when he plans to bring about the necessary amendments of legislation to the Houses of the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Thomas Pringle. [38452/19] 7. To ask the Minister for Finance if he has carried out an appraisal of an analysis by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (details supplied) of possible overheating in the economy here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Thomas P. Broughan. [38989/19] P.T.O 3492 8. To ask the Minister for Finance the additional measures he plans to introduce to counteract cross-Border smuggling and illicit trade in tobacco, drink and fuel products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Brendan Smith. [39042/19] 9. To ask the Minister for Finance his views on the assessment from the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council that expenditure in 2018 breached the expenditure benchmark for that year; the margin in 2019 between expected expenditure and the amount permitted under the expenditure benchmark; the potential consequences if the expenditure benchmark in 2019 is breached; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Barry Cowen. [25803/19] 10. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of companies and economic operators that have applied and received an economic operators’ registration and identification to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Pearse Doherty. [39085/19] 11. To ask the Minister for Finance his views on concerns raised by the Ombudsman in relation to persons being denied access to the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme on the basis they have been refused primary medical certificates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Róisín Shortall. [38308/19] 12. To ask the Minister for Finance the status of work to assist businesses that are struggling to obtain insurance at all or at reasonable rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Martin Heydon. [39088/19] 13. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will consider plans to address the current insurance crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Fiona O’Loughlin. [39034/19] 14. To ask the Minister for Finance if he is satisfied that REITs and IREFs are paying a fair share of tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Pearse Doherty. [39082/19] 15. To ask the Minister for Finance the way in which the condition for receiving section 481 tax relief that requires the recipients to provide quality employment and training can be met by the producer companies that apply for and receive the relief when those same producer companies are denying responsibility for employment and training on film productions but rather claiming that a designated activity company, which exists only for a time limited specific financial purpose, is the entity responsible for employment and training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Richard Boyd Barrett. [38988/19] 16. To ask the Minister for Finance if the condition for receiving section 481 tax relief is being met by the producer companies in the film industry that apply for and receive the relief; and the way in which this is monitored by his Department. — Bríd Smith. [39094/19] 17. To ask the Minister for Finance if the proposed levy for credit unions will be scrapped; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Fiona O’Loughlin. [39035/19] 18. To ask the Minister for Finance the steps he plans to take to tackle the growing insurance crisis affecting certain sectors across the economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Michael McGrath. [39061/19] 19. To ask the Minister for Finance if consideration is being given to the introduction of a green tax and dividend approach to decarbonising society and the economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Thomas P. Broughan. [38767/19] 3493 20. To ask the Minister for Finance if the review of the special assignee relief programme has been completed and published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Pearse Doherty. [39081/19] 21. To ask the Minister for Finance the effect of a no-deal hard Brexit on customs clearance and other requirements for importing from the UK mainland and Northern Ireland; his views on the implication of a no-deal hard Brexit for VAT and business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Joan Burton. [39045/19] 22. To ask the Minister for Finance his views on banks using the time limit for tracker mortgage appeals to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman; his further views on whether the banks should lift the time limits; if he has engaged with the banks in relation to this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Michael McGrath. [39058/19] 23. To ask the Minister for Finance if the local property tax will be abolished and replaced with a landlord’s tax that increases in rate depending on the number of properties the landlord has; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Richard Boyd Barrett. [38986/19] 24. To ask the Minister for Finance the status of the VAT treatment on food supplements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Michael McGrath. [39057/19] 25. To ask the Minister for Finance the status of the OECD BEPS process; the next steps involved; when he expects an agreement amongst the OECD members; the progress made on a review as to the sustainability of corporation tax receipts here in the coming years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Michael McGrath. [39059/19] 26. To ask the Minister for Finance the steps he has taken to date and plans to take in preparation for post-Brexit customs checks at ports here, specifically Rosslare Europort; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — James Browne. [38309/19] 27. To ask the Minister for Finance the estimated increase in the number of high net worth persons dealt with by the Revenue Commissioners’ large cases division if the threshold for inclusion was reduced to €30 million; the additional resources which would be required to provide for such a reduction; if such resources will be made available to the Revenue Commissioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Joan Burton. [39047/19] 28. To ask the Minister for Finance his plans to increase the excise duty on diesel fuel; his views on the impact of such an increase on the haulage industry in view of the threat posed by Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Pearse Doherty. [39083/19] 29. To ask the Minister for Finance the way in which and when he will respond to the recent criticism from the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council that the Government needs to develop a more credible medium-term plan for Budget 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Thomas P. Broughan. [38307/19] 30. To ask the Minister for Finance the measures taken to meet and engage with insurance companies regarding excessive premiums being charged to consumers, particularly in counties Carlow and Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Bobby Aylward. [38814/19] 31. To ask the Minister for Finance the status of the divestment of public funding in the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund from fossil fuel companies since the enaction of the Fossil Fuel P.T.O 3494 Divestment Act 2018; his plans as part of the Climate Action Plan 2019 to encourage the private sector to divest from fossil fuel companies and offer investors fossil free alternatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter.