Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Are members happy enough with that? Okay.

Next is No. 1092B from Mr. John McKeon, Secretary General, Department of Social Protection, dated 21 February 2022 providing information requested by the committee regarding payments under the temporary wage subsidy scheme, TWSS, and the employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS. The Secretary General states that the legislation provides that while the Department funds the schemes, the Office of the Revenue Commissioners administers it. As the Minister for Finance brought forward the legislation, any policy decisions in relation to it are a matter for the Minister and the board of the Revenue Commissioners.

We have also received related correspondence from the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, R1096 PAC33, and from the Department of Finance, R1105 PAC33. Revenue states that companies making distributions, including but not exclusive to dividends to shareholders, have obligations to deduct and return dividend withholding tax, DWT. Regarding analysis, Revenue states that DWT returns filed by companies claiming EWSS, in respect of distributions made in 2021, showed that 641 employers filed DWT returns, out of a total of 51,900 who received EWSS payments.

The Department of Finance has provided a detailed response outlining some of the difficulties in legislating to link and prevent the payment of any dividends to shareholders that might be based on State supports. For example, a dividend could be deferred until the company is no longer in receipt of such supports. The Department also refers to an interdepartmental review of Covid-19 emergency income supports, and I would propose that we request a copy of the findings of that review.

I propose to note and publish this item, request a copy of that review, and also to forward copies of the three items of correspondence to Deputy Nash, who raised this matter with the committee. Is that agreed? Agreed.

These items are flagged for discussion by Deputy Imelda Munster, but she is not with us. The concern was about where State money being paid out in emergency supports and subsidies would wind up. We will do what I have just set out. We will also forward a copy of the correspondence to Deputy Nash.

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