Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 6 July 2017

Public Accounts Committee

2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 18 - Shared Services
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Chapter 3 - Vote Accounting and Budget Management
Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 95: Financial Reporting in the Public Sector

9:00 am

Mr. Robert Watt:

Yes, there was a settlement for €27,800 in relation to work that was contracted out from two barristers who were involved in advising the Department in relation to the statute law revision programme. There were differing views between ourselves and the Revenue Commissioners as to whether this should be the subject to either professional service withholding tax or PAYE. We reached a view and then in further discussions with the Revenue Commissioners they disagreed with that view. On settlement of the matter, we had to pay a further amount. It was, therefore, a different interpretation of exactly what the relationship of the people involved was in the contract with the Department. Obviously, if the Revenue came to a different view, we had to then make that settlement with the Revenue.

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