Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This section deals with tax defaults. The changes in respect of innocent errors avoiding penalties are welcome, but why would the Minister remove the prohibition on a reduction of penalties in offshore cases? Deputy Durkan, who gave us his history lessons, will probably recall how we were nicknamed "Amnesty International" in the 1990s because of all the tax amnesties for offshore cases. I hope that this is not a similar, if different, type of measure. Allowing those who declare offshore funds to avoid penalties is hardly a disincentive to engaging in offshore transactions. Will the Minister justify this change and speak to the issue?