asked the Minister for Finance if, in view of the delay in the issue of repayment cheques by the Collector-General of Taxes, a local arrangement on lines similar to that at present in operation for repayments to dock workers may be authorised.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Repayment Cheque Issues.
105.
Repayment cheques are normally issued by the collector-general from the central computer centre within a week from the day on which the certified claims are received through local tax offices. The making of repayments on a large scale at tax offices would require the setting up of local control and accounting procedures. These would necessarily be non-mechanised and could be expected to result in a slower and costlier service than that at present provided to the taxpayers concerned.
The special local arrangements to which the Deputy refers were introduced solely to meet the case of certain relatively small groups of causal employees from whom tax is deducted on a daily non-cumulative basis. To keep their tax position up to date it is necessary to review their earnings weekly and to refund any excess tax which may have been deducted during the week owing to the non-operation of the cumulative system.
In the normal case, where the cumulative system automatically keeps an employee's tax position up to date, the special arrangements for casual employees would not be appropriate.
Is the Minister not informed that there have been long delays in the Cork area in the payment of PMG cheques?
I am not, but if the Deputy can cite instances and if he will let me have them I will have them looked into.
Will the Minister not give us our own arrangement in Cork?
We are speeding up the system in every way possible and the new computer will help.
Will the Minister agree that up to now cheques have not been issued up to one week?
In the majority of cases that is not so.