asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider the desirability of making the financial year coincide with the calendar year; and whether he is prepared to have the matter examined by a committee representative of the various interests concerned.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - The Financial Year.
The question of changing the financial year to coincide with the calendar year was examined within recent years in conformity with an undertaking given in my predecessor's reply to a Parliamentary question by Deputy Mulcahy on the 16th July, 1942. Departments, local authorities and commercial, insurance, accounting and banking interests were consulted as to whether the change would be desirable. The inquiry showed that the weight of opinion, private as well as official, is, for substantial reasons, against a change and in favour of retaining the present financial year. The reply to the second part of the Deputy's question is, therefore, in the negative.
Would the Minister consider circulating the report of that inquiry for the information of Deputies?
It was never actually put in the form of a report but we have a file containing a large number of replies from the various people who were consulted in the matter. It is not in the form of a report.