Vol. 427 No. 6
75 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Finance the extent to which our national income statistics take account of the black economy; the extent to which our GDP figures may be underestimated; the size of the Irish black economy in comparison to our partners' economies; and the increase in resources committed to the Revenue Commissioners which would be necessary to get national income statistics which are more fully accurate.
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 extent are not, therefore, available. However, I understand that the methodology employed by the Central Statistics Office to estimate gross domestic product (GDP) endeavours to capture elements of hidden economic activity.
The Government is 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.
