asked the Minister for Finance if he has met the Commission on Taxation since he became Minister; and when he expects to have the commission's report.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Commission on Taxation.
2.
The only occasion on which there has been a meeting between the Minister for Finance and the Commission on Taxation was on 14 April 1980 when the Minister for Finance addressed the members at their inaugural meeting.
As no deadlines have been set for the commission and as, I understand, they have yet to consider several aspects of taxation, I cannot say at this stage when a report will be finalised. For the sake of completeness and consistency with the statement I made in the House on the Finance Bill, perhaps I ought to add to that circulated reply that I have met the chairman of the commission informally but I have not met the commission as such.
Having met the chairman, can the Minister give us any indication as to when a report will be received and whether there still will be interim reports or reports specifically related to certain aspects of the taxation system?
As the Deputy will recognise and recollect, the commission were set up on an entirely independent basis. I would not, therefore, be in a position to say whether they intend to publish interim reports or when they intend to publish their final report. If the Deputy has any queries on that matter he would be best advised to address them to the independent commission. But I look forward to receiving their report and will consider its content with great care.
Do I detect on the part of the Minister a decided lack of interest in the proceedings of this commission, or in the outcome of their efforts or any report submitted by them?
Let me assure the House that there would be no foundation for any inference of any such tone in my statement. I welcome the establishment of this commission. It is useful to have, at substantial intervals of time, a thorough-going review of our tax system and an independent commission such as this is useful for achieving such a review. I will both welcome their report when it is received and will study it with great care. No one can ask me to do any more than that.
Does the Minister expect the report to be available to him before the budget, and what will be the date of the budget?
Any question about the date of the budget would not be relevant as there was no notice of it. In regard to the first question asked by Deputy Fitzgerald, they are an independent commission and I have no way of knowing when they expect to present either their interim report or their final report.
The Minister could, of course, ask them.
Since we have this independent commission and since the Minister has paid tribute to their objectivity, did he or the Government contemplate inviting their views on any of the taxation reforms put forward by the Government or did he invite them to submit some form of interim report which might encompass some of their views on those reforms?
As the Deputy will recollect, the commission are independent. They are entitled to settle their own schedule of work. If they decide, in their wisdom, that they want to present a report to us on any matter they are perfectly free to do so. But I do not intend to direct them when to publish their report or what to report on. That is entirely a matter for themselves and any pressure put on me by Deputies opposite to do other than that would be an attempt to interfere with the independence of the commission as established.
I was not suggesting that any pressure be put on the commission but, since there is a body in existence which presumably has some competence in that area and since the Government have resorted to the device of inviting independent experts to comment on other aspects of economic policy, such as the "Three Wise Men", it would seem a reasonable inference that the Government might have invited——
There is nothing in the world to stop the commission if they decide to present a report to me on this or any other subject, nor is there anything to stop the Deputy writing a letter to the commission suggesting that they do so. I will not interfere with them in my ministerial position in the timing of the reports or the content of them. Because of my position, any request of mine in that context could be construed as interfering with their legitimate independence.