(Cavan) asked the Minister for Finance (a) whether detailed work targets are set for officials in the Estate Duty Office; (b) if so, by whom they are set and the sanctions imposed for non-fulfilment; (c) whether estate duty work is appropriate to a scheme of this kind having regard to the varying nature of the work; and (d) whether experience has shown that schemes of this kind result in a shedding of more difficult cases in order to reach targets.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Estate Duty Office.
8.
The nature of the work of the estate duty branch is such that the type of control envisaged by Deputy Fitzpatrick is not appropriate. Some cases may be disposed of in a matter of hours while others may take days to complete. Each section in the branch is supervised by a senior examiner whose duties include that of ensuring that a reasonable output is forthcoming from each official in the section. In addition, each official gives a weekly return showing the number of cases dealt with by him during the week. The weekly return from each section indicates the number of cases on hands and the date of the oldest case. The flow of work is accordingly subject to weekly review. The "shedding" of more difficult cases would immediately be highlighted if such a practice were to develop.
(Cavan): Is it correct to say that, under recent regulations within the Department, an official is required to deal with a given number of cases each day or each week? If that is so, does the Minister not agree that such a rule or regulation is inappropriate to the Estate Duty Office because of the vast differences between one case and another? If the Minister can give me an assurance that no such regulation, setting a numerical target each day or each week, without regard to the type of case involved, is in existence I will be satisfied.
The information available to me is that no such rule is in operation and, for the very reasons mentioned by the Deputy and by me in my reply, it would not be appropriate because there are such considerable differences between different kinds of cases. Therefore, I can give the Deputy the assurance that no such rule is in operation.
(Cavan): The Minister is only a short time in the Department. Can I have the Minister's assurance that if he finds out that any sort of rule, or something less than a regulation, any type of pressure is in existence to ensure that a given number of cases is done each day or each week, he will look into it carefully and see that no such unreasonable regulation is enforced?
I shall examine the matter further.
(Cavan): I am obliged to the Minister.