asked the Minister for Finance if, in view of statements made by a tax officials' union that over £700 million is outstanding in collectable taxes, he will state (a) the source of this information and if there is a breach of the Official Secrets Act; (b) the actual amount of tax outstanding for the year 1985-86 which, at the most accurate and professional assessment of the Revenue Commissioners and his Department will be due to be paid and collected; and if, in view of public concern, he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Outstanding Tax Arrears.
53.
(a) The information contained in the statements attributed to a tax officials' union that over £700 million is outstanding in collectable taxes conforms with information contained in the tables in paragraph 18 of the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the Appropriation Accounts for 1984 (Pl. 3179). That paragraph contains a table for each of the taxes, contributions and levies, the collection of which is entrusted to the Revenue Commissioners. Each table contains an estimate of the amount likely to be collected and the aggregate of those amounts is £706 million for all years up to and including 1984 or 1984-85 (1983-84 in the case of PAYE and PRSI). It is not possible to predict the period of years over which the aggregate in question will, for whatever reason, be capable of being collected. As the amounts from which the aggregate is derived are published, there can be no question of any breach of the Official Secrets Act having arisen.
(b) The task of compiling an estimate of the tax outstanding in relation to any year by reference to a particular date is a large and costly one and is undertaken annually for publication in the annual report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the Appropriation Accounts for that year, by reference to the position at 31 May following the year in question in relation to assessed taxes and by reference to the same date a year later in respect of PAYE and PRSI. The corresponding estimate for 1985-86 will not be completed, by publication of the figures for PAYE and PRSI, until after 31 may 1987. I will not, therefore, be in a position to supply the information requested until the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the Appropriation Accounts for 1986 is published, probably towards the end of 1987.