Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 2 July 2015

Public Accounts Committee

2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 15: Local Property Tax
Chapter 16: Taxation of Rental Income
2014 Account of the Revenue Commissioners

10:00 am

Photo of Gabrielle McFaddenGabrielle McFadden (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I welcome Mr. Cody and thank him for his opening statement. Based on everything we have read, the undertaking by Revenue was a huge task for it at a time of diminishing staff and budget resources. Revenue appears to have set up a very effective system in nine months. It is a pity other systems such as SUSI or Irish Water, in terms of set up, have not been as effective. I compliment Mr. Cody on that.

I note from the briefing that Revenue has a property register of approximately 1.95 million, which is a huge workload for any Department. Reference is made in the briefing to 3% or 55,988 properties in respect of which no owners have been identified. That is extraordinary. Perhaps Mr. Cody would elaborate on that issue.