Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 12 Dec 1991

Vol. 414 No. 6

Written Answers. - Taxation Affairs.

Eamon Gilmore

Ceist:

58 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Finance if, arising from the replies to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 90 to 94 of 5 November 1991 and Nos. 60 to 65 of 6 November 1991, he will outline (1) if the employer accepted the estimates which were sent to him by his Department, (2) if the arrangements made are for an amount less than the estimates given, (3) when employers PAYE and PRSI records were brought up to date and (4) when the P35s for each year since 1985 were returned to his Department.

Minister for Finance (Mr. B. Ahern)

This House has, of course, a right to a wide range of information about the activities of the Revenue Commissioners and I would wish to respect this right to the maximum possible extent.

However, to my knowledge, this House has never overturned the established practice that a Minister for Finance does not answer a parliamentary question about an individual's tax affairs, other than where the Deputy asking the question was acting on behalf of the taxpayer. It is my understanding that this is not the case in the present instance.

In the circumstances, therefore, I regret that I must accept the advice of the Revenue Commissioners that the information sought should not be divulged.