Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 27:

In page 50, between lines 6 and 7, to insert the following:

“Amendment of Act of 1997

72. Section 917D of the Act of 1997 is amended in subsection (1) by the substitution of the following definition for the definition of “digital signature”:

“ ‘digital signature’ in relation to a person, means—(a) a qualified certificate (within the meaning of the Electronic Commerce Act 2000) provided to the person by the Revenue Commissioners (or a person appointed in that behalf by the Revenue Commissioners), and

(b) an advanced electronic signature (within the meaning of that Act) generated using the qualified certificate referred to in paragraph (a);”.”.

These are technical amendments. Amendment No. 27 concerns the Revenue Online Service, ROS, digital signatures. These signatures are used extensively by businesses for the filing and payment of tax and duties. I am proposing an amendment to the Taxes Consolidation Act of 1997, TCA, that will allow for other public bodies to accept ROS signatures when providing services to the public. This should allow for a greater number of transactions between businesses and public bodies to be carried out online in line with our ambitions to digitise public services to the greatest extent possible. A consequential technical amendment is also required to the Long Title of the Bill to refer to the proposed amendment of the TCA. This is provided for in amendment No. 30. These amendments will bring substantial benefits in terms of the range of additional services that could be offered to online businesses. I ask that the committee support them.