asked the Minister for Finance the reason the Revenue Commissioners have recently announced that they intend to amalgamate the departmental and general service grades in the revenue area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Revenue Commission Grades.
161.
The Revenue Commissioners have recently announced that they intend to replace the present structure of Revenue department grades in their office by a structure based on the General Service grades which exist throughout the Civil Service.
This major organisational initiative is aimed at streamlining the staffing structure of Revenue so as to enable it to meet the new challenges and developments facing the office. The environment in which the office operates is undergoing rapid change. A major restructuring of the tax assessment and collection system is underway while the changes posed by the completion of the EC Internal Market in 1992 must be faced.
The commissioners consider that many of the reasons which justified the organisation of the office into separate departmental and general service streams have now lost their significance.
Unions and associations representing staff in the office were informed of the commissioners' intentions and, at this stage, preliminary discussions have been held with the majority of them on the implications of the proposal.