asked the Minister for Finance, in relation to the annual report furnished by the Revenue Commissioners, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there is considerable dissatisfaction at the delay in furnishing the report; and the proposals he is making to expedite its production.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Revenue Commissioners Report.
13.
I have been advised by the Revenue Commissioners that they have been addressing the problem mentioned by the Deputy. While there has been some improvement in the publication dates of the annual report in recent years more needs to be done.
The commissioners set up a working group to determine what steps are necessary to enable the annual report to be produced and published at an earlier date and to consider the content and presentation of the report. The aim is to achieve a further improvement in the publication date for the 1988 report.
Will the Minister agree that it is perfectly feasible for an organisation like the Revenue Commissioners to come up with that report within three months of the end of the year to which it relates? Perhaps it would take them four months, that is giving them a bit of grace. If the Minister directed them to do so it would happen. Will the Minister, on an interim basis, without paying attention to any of the other format of the report, say that in future it should be produced within four months of the end of the year to which the report relates?
Looking back over the past six years I accept that the publication leaves a lot to be desired, to say the least. There has been an improvement in recent times in that the report up to 31 December 1987 was published in November 1988. I will take the Deputy's suggestions on board to improve still further on the position.