News & Statements

Parliamentary Question addressed to the Department of An Taoiseach

To ask the Taoiseach if in future, earnings and labour cost reports will continue to use the baseline year 2008 for Table number 1, and throughout the report in view of the fact that for the foreseeable future, progress or otherwise should be measured against the peak year of 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter?

€5.2million Increase in Local Government Funding a major boost for Waterford – Coffey

Fine Gael Waterford Deputy Paudie Coffey has welcomed news from Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Phil Hogan TD that Waterford will receive an increase of €5.2million for local government funding for next year. Next year Waterford will receive €37.2 million up from €32million this year; this is something that I have been working closely with the Minister on and it now affords the elected members of the Council scope to offset the affect of rates increases due to the revaluation process.

Parliamentary Question to the Minister for Finance

To ask the Minister for Finance the situation affecting existing employees of Permanent TSB whose insolvent fund was wound up in May last, but who now find themselves part of a defined contribution scheme as a result of bank efforts to reduce its cost by 8% as requested by him, and consequently find their greatly depleted funds are liable for the pension levy, though the fund itself still has all the liabilities of a defined benefit pension for existing retirees; if he will consider an exemption for those nearing retirement in view of the fact that they meet two of the three requirements for exemption to the tax under the Protection of Employees Employment Insolvency Act 1984?

€5.2m increase in local government funding a major boost for Waterford – Coffey

Fine Gael Waterford Deputy, Paudie Coffey, has today (Friday) welcomed news from the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Phil Hogan TD, that Waterford will receive an increase of €5.2 million in local government funding for next year. In 2014 Waterford will receive €37.2 million, up from €32 million this year. This is something that I have been working closely with the Minister on and it now affords the elected members of the Council scope to offset the effect of rates increases due to the revaluation process.

Microsoft’s €170m investment will create 380 construction jobs and 20 permanent positions – Keating

Fine Gael Dublin Mid West Deputy, Derek Keating, has welcomed the announcement today (Tuesday) of the further expansion of Microsoft’s Europe, Middle East, and Africa mega datacentre at Grangecastle in Dublin. Deputy Keating said this announcement comes just days after the Minister for Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, turned the sod on a €100 million data centre for Digital Realty Trust, Inc. at Profile Park in west Dublin.