Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are looking at how we can best address that. While I know I said earlier that it is an extraneous issue - the VAT issue is a Revenue matter and is not for us - it is an issue in the context of people finding they are unexpectedly being levied for VAT for fees that they may never get paid. There is an obvious issue that arises. That is an issue that affects the professional work of people, not just in the Bar, as it could in these circumstances, but also in other areas. As Minister for Justice and Equality, I cannot modify our VAT legislation. However, we will look at how we might deal with this to ensure there are not unexpected or unintended consequences that impact on people.