Eamon Gilmore
Ceist:89 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Social Welfare the commencement date and termination date of the amnesty which was introduced for employers who had failed to pay over PRSI.
Written Answers. - PRSI Amnesty.
The amnesty from prosecution, which applies to employers and employees, was introduced in March this year as part of the anti-fraud campaign being undertaken by my Department.
To avail of the amnesty, employers are required to make arrangements to bring their PRSI payments up-to-date; keep proper records in relation to the earnings of employees and the duration of their employment; and co-operate fully with inspectors from the Department.
The amnesty also applies to employees. The new arrangements to visit employers as part of the anti-fraud campaign mean that the risk of exposure has been massively increased for all employees who fraudulently claim benefit particularly while working. I felt it appropriate that employees should also be given an opportunity to get their position in order during the initial phase of the new control systems.
The amnesty was introduced to give employers an opportunity to adjust to the new and ongoing control operation which is designed to stamp out the problem arising from certain employers who fail persistently to operate PRSI in a timely way. A special emphasis has been placed on the issue of firms who fail to declare the full rate of wages in their PRSI records. Many employers who were operating this particular form of abuse have already been identified and are being deal with.
It was intended, originally, that the amnesty would last until the end of September. It has recently been decided to extend the deadline until the end of November. This corresponds with the progress of the investigations which are still under way. This additional period will offer a further opportunity to employers who have not met their PRSI obligations, and for those who are wrongfully claiming social welfare payments, to come forward and put their affairs in order without fear of prosecution.
I am conscious of the many pressures on firms of all sizes. The amnesty has allowed employers put their affairs in order without putting their employees' jobs at risk at the time when we are implementing extensive new control measures which will be an ongoing feature of our system.