asked the Minister for Finance whether, in view of his statement that the Report of the Revenue Commissioners of Saorstát Eireann for the year ending 31st March, 1927, will not be ready until about the end of the present year, he will take steps to expedite, in future, the completion of the Report so that it may be published within a reasonable period after the completion of the financial year to which it refers.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - REVENUE COMMISSIONERS' REPORT.
The exceptional pressure of work on the staff concerned which followed the setting up of the Revenue Board, led to abnormal delay in the preparation of the first annual report of the Commissioners. Later reports have also been delayed by the same cause. It is hoped that, in future, conditions will permit of the annual reports being published at a relatively earlier date.
In view of the fact that the report of the British Revenue Commissioners for the year ending 31st March, 1927, was published a fortnight ago, does the Minister not think that, notwithstanding the special circumstances he has mentioned, the reports of the Revenue Commissioners are unduly delayed, and would it not be possible to see that this particular report was issued earlier than eighteen months after the close of the financial year?
I think normally the reports might be issued about 12 or 14 months after the end of the financial year to which it relates, and every effort is being made to see that in future the reports will be published after about that interval.