Vol. 496 No. 6
83 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Finance if he has made a complaint to the Garda bureau of fraud investigation regarding media reports of allegations of massive tax evasion and the maintenance of bogus offshore accounts by or on behalf of Allied Irish Banks plc. [21124/98]
I presume the Deputy is referring to the media reports of allegations concerning bogus non-resident accounts in Allied Irish Banks plc. As this is primarily a matter for the Revenue Commissioners, I would not normally refer such issues to the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation.
I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that investigations into the operation of deposit interest retention tax (DIRT) by Allied Irish Banks are ongoing and that it would be premature at this stage to consider the question of referring the results of those investigations to the Garda Fraud Squad.
The Commissioners also confirmed that they received documentation from an individual in relation to AIB, documentation which was referred to by the Tánaiste in her reply to Parliamentary Question No. 46 on 3 November 1998. This documentation is being examined by Revenue and a copy has been forwarded to the Comptroller and Auditor General for his information.
