Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

397 Questions— 22 February 2005. Written Answers 398Thresholds First-Time No. of transactions First-Time Buyer No. of transactions Stamp DutyBuyer Rate Pre- for First Time Rate Post-Budget for First Time Yield for FirstBudget Buyers (Pre- Buyers (Post- Time BuyersBudget)Budget)% % \m\190,501 to \254,000 3.00 3,970 Exempt n/a 26.7\254,001 to \317,500 3.75 2,542 Exempt n/a 26.5\317,501 to \381,000 4.50 1,069 3 35 16.4 (4.5%)\381,001 to \635,000 7.50 Unknown 6 16 0.40.4 (3%)As the Deputy was previously advised, stampduty rates for property transactions exceeding\381,000 up to 1 December 2004 and for transactionsexceeding \635,000 on or after 2December 2004 were the same for all purchasersand, therefore, it is not possible to distinguishfirst-time buyer transactions from other transactionsin excess of those values.As the Deputy was also advised, statistics onstamp duty transactions are not compiled by referenceto the address of the property purchasedand, accordingly, it is not possible to provide theinformation requested by reference to counties.Particulars of transactions where no stamp dutyapplies are not normally captured. Accordingly,it is not possible to provide reliable informationin relation to exempt categories.Political Fund-Raising.158. Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Financeif he will consider putting in place measures toensure that companies and persons with substantialcontracts with Departments be precludedfrom political fund-raising for the Ministersoverseeing those Departments. [5719/05]Minister for Finance (Mr. Cowen): I have noplans to introduce such a restriction.Consultancy Contracts.159. Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Financeif, in view of recent investigations by the Standardsin Public Office Commission, he will considerrequiring that each Department keep an upto-dateregister of all consultants engaged and theterms of reference of their work. [5720/05]Minister for Finance (Mr. Cowen): Undersection 6, recording and reporting on consultanciesin the Civil Service, of the Department ofFinance guidelines for engagement of consultantsin the Civil Service — March 1999 — Departments-officeswhich commission consultants arerequired to establish computer registers and torecord in relation to each consultancy the firmawarded the contract, the cost and purpose of theproject, the terms of reference of the consultantsand the name of a contact official most familiarwith the details of the assignment.160. Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Financeif, in view of recent investigations by the Standardsin Public Office Commission, he will considerputting strict criteria in place regarding foreigntravel by consultants engaged by hisDepartment. [5721/05]Minister for Finance (Mr. Cowen): The guidelinesfor engagement of consultants in the CivilService, produced by my Department in March1999, outlines in paragraph 3.05 a number of generalcriteria to be adhered to by Departments inrelation to consultancy projects. One of the generalcriteria outlined is that Departments shouldensure that additional costs and-or expenses areincluded as part of the fee. Where this is not feasible,particular care should be taken to ensurethat such costs are adequately vouched and arereasonable. Where additional costs for travellingand subsistence cannot be avoided, they shouldwhere possible not exceed those appropriaterates applying in the Civil Service. Officials in myDepartment are, therefore, aware of the requirementthat the costs of only necessary and reasonabletravel relevant to a project by consultantsshould be met by the Department.161. Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Financeif there are criteria in place for the engagementof public relations consultants by Departments;and if so, if he will provide this Deputy with acopy of such guidelines. [5722/05]Minister for Finance (Mr. Cowen): There arethree sets of guidelines which set out the criteriain question: general guidelines on procurement,general guidelines on the engagement of consultantsand new guidelines which will apply particularlyin the public relations or communicationsarea.In March 1999, my Department issued theguidelines for engagement of consultants in theCivil Service. The latest public procurementguidelines, public procurement guidelines competitiveprocess, were issued by my Departmentin July 2004. Both documents are available on theDepartment’s website. I have arranged for hardcopies to be sent to the Deputy.Following consideration of the recommendationsin the recent report prepared by Mr.