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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 31 May 1939

Vol. 76 No. 3

Vote 6—Office of the Revenue Commissioners.

I move:—

Go ndeontar suim ná raghaidh thar £590,211 chun slánuithe na suime is gá chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1940, chun Tuarastail agus Costaisí Oifig na gCoimisinéirí Ioncuim maraon le Seirbhísí áirithe eile atá fé riaradh na hOifige sin.

That a sum not exceeding £590,211 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1940, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, including certain other services administered by that Office.

I should like the Minister to discuss the reason for the report of the Revenue Commissioners being so late in coming out, and whether he has taken, or can take, any steps which will secure that that report, which contains such a lot of important information, is brought out as up-to-date as the report of the Department of Local Government and Public Health. It is important that that should be done, and the House would like to know what the difficulties are and what steps are being taken to hurry it up. Secondly, in view of the substantially-increased staff of the Revenue Commissioners, could something not be done to make the Border less apparent. by giving a better night service which would enable motorists to cross it into Éire with greater facilites than are available at present? From anything I hear, it is much more easy for people to pass into the Six Counties at night-time than for people to pass in here from the Six Counties, and if it is the policy of the Government to wipe out the Border completely at the earliest possible time, such things as are in their power to do might be attempted now. Motorists whom business takes into the Six Counties and who wish to travel from the Six Counties out at night are, I understand, subject to very great inconvenience with regard to the hours of crossing, and so on.

With regard to the reports, I have already asked the Revenue Commissioners whether it was possible for them to expedite the presentation of their reports. I feel that something ought to be done in that regard and I am hopeful that, in future, we may be able to get them out more expeditiously than has been the case heretofore. The Deputy, however, will understand that a great deal of statistical information, involving a considerable number of calculations, has to be prepared in respect of this report. It is not a question merely of checking a census.

Take the case of the census of production. The Statistics Department handle that matter in a very efficient and prompt way now. If it is possible for any ordinary business people to do it, and if it is possible for a Government Department to assemble them, it would be possible, surely, to get the same thing done on the revenue side.

I have already asked the Revenue Commissioners would it not be possible to expedite these returns. With regard to the question of improved facilities for motorists crossing the Border, I think that on most main roads it is possible to get in up to very late hours at night.

When the Minister says late hours, what hours does he mean?

Well, say, up to 10 o'clock; on holidays and on certain occasions it is possible to get in later. The trouble, or the difference, is that there are not so many inducements to smuggle goods into the Six Counties as there are to smuggle in here goods from the Six Counties. Consequently a car can go into the Six Counties late at night. It will always be liable to be stopped by a police officer on duty and held up. They do not bother to keep frontier posts open, but that is the position. I do not know what would happen if one were not able to show that one passed into the Six Counties in the ordinary way. I sympathise with the Deputy's point of view. I am anxious to see more social intercourse between this State and the Six Counties.

The Minister will admit that he is in a position to arrange it.

Yes, but I have to bear in mind that when additional facilities are granted to the public it will mean more money, more expense to the State.

The Revenue has a strong staff there to deal with the matter.

Yes, but the members of that staff have regular hours of work. If they have to work late at night they have to be paid overtime.

While we are waiting for the war might not the Volunteer force in that area take over some of the night duties?

I would rather see the enforcement of the Revenue Commissioners' laws in the hands of those trained to do that unenviable and laborious task.

Question put and agreed to.
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