Mary Lou McDonald
Ceist:44. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Finance the total number of Revenue staff working on tackling tax evasion and tax avoidance in 2013 and 2014. [5952/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 6 February 2014
Ceisteanna (44)
Freagraí scríofa
I am informed by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners that Revenue is an integrated tax and customs administration. Revenue currently has approximately 2,000 staff engaged on activities that are dedicated to target and confront non-compliance. These front-line activities include anti-smuggling and anti-evasion, investigation and prosecution, audit, assurance checks, anti-avoidance, returns compliance and debt collection. In addition, a considerable proportion of the balance of front-line staff is engaged in service delivery which is aimed at ensuring compliance.
The Office of the Revenue Commissioners is subject to the Employment Control Framework staffing reductions imposed since 2009. Revenue's overall staffing levels have reduced from a total of 6,581(FTE) at the end of 2008 to its current level of 5,740 (FTE). Notwithstanding this reduction, Revenue staff resources assigned to compliance activities has been maintained at around 2,000. This has been achieved by the on-going development of its digital services, increased use of mandatory electronic services and the on-going re-design of the various taxes and duties. I think it is also important to note that Revenue resources working in all aspects of work that might be considered non-frontline are aimed at ensuring maximum compliance, for example training, to ICT development, legislation development and interpretation and research and analytics and these resources and the work they carry out are an integral part of Revenue's response to non-compliance.