Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank our guests for their presentation. I wish to raise the delays arising from Covid-19 in dealing with certain issues. A number of people have contacted me about family members who have loans under the fair deal scheme. As our guests will be aware, the moneys must be paid back and that is done through Revenue. The problem now is that because of Covid, there is a delay in taking out grants of probate. A number of people who contacted me are concerned that they will be charged interest because they cannot complete the probate in time and, therefore, cannot collect the funds to pay back Revenue. Will people be accommodated in circumstances where there is a genuine delay beyond the control of the executors?

The second issue I wish to raise relates to vehicle registration tax, VRT. Our guests' submission did not include a breakdown of VRT. I presume it comes under customs duties but I do not see a figure for VRT for any of the years in question. Could we have a figure for the amount collected through VRT?

On a connected issue, in Cork it now takes up to six weeks from the time that someone applies to have a car assessed for VRT to the time when the matter is reviewed. As our guests will be aware, none of these vehicles can come in without having being paid for. Suppliers, therefore, lose a great deal of money and have to wait up to three months before they can get that money back. My understanding is that some car importers in Cork are having to go as far as Galway, Waterford, Kerry or Limerick to have cars assessed for VRT. I received a response from the Minister for Finance yesterday that was totally unsatisfactory, and I do not accept it. I raised this issue two months ago and nothing has been done. I ask our guests to respond to the issue of delays in Cork in dealing with VRT.