Mr. Niall Cody:

We will do that.

I reiterate the point that the public will be disappointed those wealthy income earners effectively get a clawback down the road if they do not have that high income. I want to put that on the record. We are here to scrutinise tax receipts as well as expenditure.

I will go through the schedule in the Revenue Commissioners' report. It is all well and good publishing the report but in regard to the reliefs claimed, by far the biggest one is the €98 million for the reliefs carried forward, which we have discussed. In regard to the other big reliefs being utilised, 27 people claimed relief on hotels, holiday camps and cottages of €7.6 million, which was an average of €280,000 relief per person. In regard to the urban renewal scheme and capital allowances for commercial buildings, 14 people claimed reliefs of €1.6 million, which is an average of €115,000 per individual. In regard section 344 and multi-storey carpark allowances, this is a very lucrative allowance for some people. Fewer than ten people claimed reliefs of €3.6 million. If there were ten of them, it would have been relief of €360,000 per person. If it was five, it would have been double that. We do not have the figure but it is at least €360,000 per individual. In regard to section 372, qualifying urban relief and capital allowances for certain commercial buildings, 15 people claimed reliefs of €2.15 million, which is an average relief of €143,000 per person. I am only listing those over €100,000 because people ought to hear about reliefs. I want to put what we are talking about on the record. Section 372 relief applies for lessors of residential properties - it is a section 23-type relief - and 54 people claimed €11.5 million in reliefs, which is an average of €214,000 per individual. Section 338 is relief arising under terminal losses of a business totalling €7.1 million, which is an average of €160,000 relief per individual.

I have mentioned the big one already, namely, losses forward. Some 346 people claimed relief for losses forward of €98 million, which is an average of €383,000 relief per individual. Are all those, not just the first one, carried forward year in, year out if a person claims a relief? Is it just that big one, the carry forward excess relief? Can all the others can be carried forward as losses forward if a person's incomes drop?