Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 12 Nov 1991

Vol. 412 No. 5

Written Answers. - Non-Accounted Economy.

Michael D. Higgins

Ceist:

29 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Finance if he will request the social partners, through the Central Review Committee, to commission a study to update the Central Bank document A Glimpse at the Non-Accounted Economy, published in March 1982; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Enda Kenny

Ceist:

45 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Finance if he will outline the estimated turnover of the black economy in each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Finance (The Taoiseach)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 29 and 45 together.

The black economy, of its very nature, is an area of economic activity which seeks to avoid official attention and recording. Reliable estimates of its turnover are not, therefore, available for any of the past three years.

I do not propose to request an update of the Central Bank document referred to in the question. It is well known that the various approaches used to measure the black economy provide answers which are subject to wide margins of error and hence are not useful for policy purposes.

Rather than seeking to measure the black economy — an unproductive exercise in the circumstances I have outlined — the Government are tackling the problem of concealed economic activity through measures to counteract tax evasion and social welfare fraud. These measures have proved successful and it is intended to continue with them.