Vol. 436 No. 1
71 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Finance the number of public houses whose licences were not renewed due to an inability to produce appropriate certificates from the Revenue Commissioners, which certificates recently became a requirement for licence renewal.
It is estimated that in the 1992-93 licensing year, that is, from 1 October 1992 to 30 September 1933, a total of 13,800 intoxicating liquor licence holders would have required tax clearance in order to renew their licences. Approximately 10,800 of these licences would have been "publicans" licences, relating mainly to public houses but also including hotels, clubs, etc.
At the end of last week, 13,229 applications for tax clearance had been received by the Collector-General's Office from intoxicating liquor licence holders for the 1992-93 licensing year. 12,615 tax clearance certificates were issued and 614 applicants did not obtain tax clearance due to outstanding tax arrears for that year.
As regards the licensing year from 1 October 1993 to 30 September 1994, the Collector-General's Office has at this stage received a total of 10,560 applications for tax clearance. So far, 5,535 tax clearance certificates have been issued, decisions have been deferred in 495 cases to afford the applicants an opportunity to regularise their tax affairs and the remaining applications are still being processed. No refusals have issued in relation to that licensing year.
As the Collector-General does not maintain a record of applications for tax clearance by reference to the different categories of intoxicating liquor licences, it is not possible to give separate figures for holders of publicans licences.
