Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 128:

In page 74, line 31, to delete “1 May 2017” and substitute “1 January 2017”.

This amendment relates to the deadline in the legislation of 1 May 2017. My amendment proposes that it be 1 January 2017. The Minister has given individuals who have engaged in criminal activity until 1 May 2017 to get their house in order by allowing them to make a voluntary disclosure of tax evasion involving offshore assets and income, entitling them to mitigated penalties and avoiding criminal prosecution by coming forward voluntarily to the Revenue Commissioners. As I said on Second Stage, the deadline must be seen in the context of extra information which the Revenue Commissioners now have at their disposal from closer co-operation and information exchanges worldwide on the tax affairs of individuals in other jurisdictions. The deadline is in advance of a greater clampdown on offshore assets next year by the Revenue Commissioners, which they have planned for and announced.

I must question the accommodating approach being taken to these people who have broken the law with the 1 May 2017 deadline. I ask that the Minister remove the option of mitigated penalties and no criminal prosecution. He must end any option of preferential treatment and pursue them with the full rigours of the law, particularly in light of the fact that the Revenue Commissioners have additional information as a result of the greater co-operation and exchange of information worldwide on the tax affairs of Irish and other individuals.