Ms Josephine Feehily:

What I will say to Deputy Ross, if we could just maybe move it forward a small bit, is that in 2000-2001, we completely reorganised the organisation. For the first time, we set up a dedicated investigation and prosecution section. Since then, we have had a dedicated prosecution programme. It has included the creation of the submissions committee, that I mentioned to the Deputy, which has criteria for the admissions of cases. At any given time, and certainly right now, there is a couple of hundred in a pipeline being investigated in that programme, some for tax and some for duty evasion. Last year, we had 37 custodial sentences imposed between tax and duty evasion. We had an additional 28 suspended sentences imposed. On any given day last year, I would guess that there were 12 or 15 people in jail for tax or duty evasion, and on 30 September, we had 22 people serving custodial sentences for tax and duty evasion.

Bringing it forward, I certainly take Deputy Ross's point. Revenue reorganised itself very fundamentally to focus on criminal investigation and prosecution. We have staffed that division with some of our most technically qualified staff. Year on year, we have increased the number of prosecutions, but more importantly, our conviction rate is very high. I have just read out to the committee the results in terms of sentencing.