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Hidden Economy Monitoring Group Issues

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 February 2013

Tuesday, 5 February 2013

Questions (251, 252, 253)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

251. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 50 of 4 October 2012, if he will name the members of the hidden economy monitoring group and to provide details of the remuneration and expenses for each member. [5312/13]

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Pearse Doherty

Question:

252. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the number of times the hidden economy monitoring group has met. [5313/13]

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Pearse Doherty

Question:

253. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the terms of reference for the hidden economy monitoring group; to whom they report, in what form and at how regularly. [5314/13]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 251 to 253, inclusive, together.

I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the Hidden Economy Monitoring Group (HEMG) was set up in 1990 at the request of the Central Review Committee of the Programme for National Recovery. Chaired by Revenue, it is a multilateral group comprising of representatives of IBEC, SFA, CIF, ICTU and SIPTU, Government agencies, the Department of Social Protection, the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the National Employment Rights Agency. Its terms of reference are to provide a forum for the exchange of views on the effectiveness of measures introduced in combating the hidden economy between the Revenue Commissioners, the Department of Social Protection, the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the National Employment Rights Agency and representative bodies of employers, unions and industry, and to prepare a brief report on its activities each year for presentation to the Department of an Taoiseach.

The group met three or four times a year between 1990 and 2011 and contributed to the establishment of multi-agency investigation units, producing a "Code of Practice for Determining Employment or Self-Employment Status of Individuals", and in 2007 sponsored legislation which provided for the exchange of employment information on the earned income of individuals between the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs and the Revenue Commissioners, the first steps into information exchange. Under its terms of reference, the Group prepares a written annual report that is presented to the Department of the Taoiseach. I am further advised by the Revenue Commissioners that in 2011 the Group reviewed its own effectiveness and ability to deliver, in accordance with its terms of reference, and reached the conclusion that its would be better served by operating at a more local level, utilising resources more familiar with the difficulties that were being experienced by small and medium sized enterprises and unions locally and using local Government agency resources to arrive at workable solutions.

In November 2011, the full HEMG devolved its terms of reference to four regionally based liaison groups, namely the Border Midlands West, Dublin, East & South East and South West Hidden Economy Monitoring Liaison Groups, with a requirement that all groups meet regularly and provide reports as required to the HEMG. The constituent members of the Regional Liaison Groups nominated were locally based members of the original attendee representative bodies and agencies, with the meetings organised and chaired by Revenue officials. The four Regional Liaison Groups met a total of 11 times during 2012. The 2012 report of the HEMG is currently being prepared. On 30 January 2013 the full HEMG met to review the effectiveness of the first year of operations of the Regional Liaison Groups and to see what supports could be put in place to achieve and sustain improved outcomes from the work of the Groups. In order to make the HEMG more representative it was expanded to include a number of other interested representative bodies such as ISME and Retail Ireland. A schedule of meetings was agreed that requires the full HEMG to meet twice and the Regional Liaison Groups to meet quarterly in 2013.

None of the members of any of the Groups receives remuneration or expenses from the Exchequer arising from their membership of the Groups, or for any of the additional work they have carried out on behalf of the Groups. Given that individuals attend in a representative capacity, the actual members attending meetings varies from time to time. The Group is chaired by Mr. Declan Rigney, Assistant Secretary, Office of the Revenue Commissioners and the most recent meeting was attended by the Revenue Planning Division team - Mr. Séamas Ó Cathasaigh, Mr. Seán Nolan, Mr. Vincent Kenrick and Mr. John Morrissey; the Chairmen of the four Regional Liaison Groups (also Revenue) - Ms Phil Uí Bhróithe (Border/Midlands/West Region), Ms. Lynda Hendley (Dublin Region), Mr. Pat Murphy (South-West Region) and Mr. Thomas Keating (East/South/East Region); representatives of the other Government Agencies representatives - Mr. Phil Cox (Department of Social Protection), Mr. Fran Power (National Employment Rights Authority) and Ms. Joan Kehoe (Department of Jobs Innovation and Enterprise); representatives of the Employee Group (Unions) - Mr. Fergus Whelan (Irish Congress of Trade Unions) and Mr. Christy McQuillan (Services Industrial Professional and Technical Union); representatives of the Employer Group - Mr. Ger Brady (Irish Business and Employers Confederation), Mr. Eddie Keenan (Construction Industry Federation), Ms. Liz Carroll (Irish Small and Medium Enterprises) and Mr. Jim Copeland (Hardware Association of Ireland); and apologies were received from Ms. Avine McNally (Small Firms Association), Mr. Stephen Lynam (Retail Ireland), Mr. Donal O’Keefe (Licensed Vintners Association) and Mr. Patrick Cribben (Vintners Association of Ireland).

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