Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 21 February 2013

Public Accounts Committee

2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners
Chapter 7 - Audit of Revenue 2011
Chapter 8 - Revenue Outturn 2011
Chapter 9 - Revenue Debt Collection
Chapter 10 - Increasing Tax Compliance

11:40 am

Ms Josephine Feehily:

We are still talking. The changes in the Bill are relevant in that regard because they will not be affected by the payment and filing dates this year. The Bill proposes a different arrangement in respect of local authorities.

Permit me to be cheeky for a moment. I wish to avail of a slight opportunity. Another relevant category is that of social housing associations. We have had a good deal of engagement with the representative body for the social housing associations. We are asking them to get in touch with us and to list their properties for us such that we do not write to them, but they have not all done so. We are telephoning them but it would be most helpful if those in social housing associations would tell us who they are and the names and addresses of the properties in order that we do not write to them. We have approximately two thirds of them and we have dealt with them but approximately one third have not responded. We are running a telephone campaign at the moment. Some are rather small organisations and we will keep on the telephone campaign until we begin to issue letters. Inevitably, we have made the offer but if it is not taken up, some people in those situations may get letters.