asked the Minister for Finance if the Government have any proposals to implement the recommendations of the first report of the Commission on Taxation.
Ceisteanna — Questions Oral Answers - Commission on Taxation.
14.
The Commission on Taxation in their first report recommend a fundamental and comprehensive overhaul of direct taxation. As the Deputy will appreciate, the implementation of such a radical scheme could not properly be considered in isolation from the rest of the taxation system.
I understand that the commission will report shortly on indirect taxation and on tax incentives. When I have considered their recommendations on these subjects, I expect to be in a better position to evaluate the findings of the commission and to advise the Government about them. As I indicated in my budget statement, the maintenance of an adequate tax revenue yield is a primary consideration. Meanwhile, I would like to remind the Deputy that a number of specific recommendations put forward by the commission are being implemented.
I would draw the Deputy's attention to the fact that the secretary of the commission has recently advanced the opinion that final decisions on the recommendations in the first report would be premature in advance of publication of the second report.
I am pleased to hear the Minister acknowledge that there was a comprehensive report. I am sure he would also agree that the public reaction to this report has generally been one of support. If it is not possible for the Minister to implement specific elements of the report, would he agree at least not to act in a manner inconsistent with the broad thrust of the report? I refer particularly to the suggestion in the report that new taxes should not be introduced willy-nilly to complicate further the existing tax system. Will he ensure that next year we will not have extra levies, nonsense taxes which cost more to administer than they bring in and——
This would be more appropriate on the budget.
Will the Minister assure us that he will not introduce extra levies, nonsense taxes such as the property tax or new rates of tax which would be inconsistent with the thrust of the commission's report?
I have given the Deputy the answer to that question in my original reply.