Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that arising from the Clerical Medical Insurance-NIB inquiry, 466 cases have been targeted for investigation. To date, 297 cases have been settled on payment of tax, interest and penalties amounting to a total of €49.51 million. A further 116 cases have been finalised with no additional liability arising. The remaining 53 cases are the subject of ongoing investigation, in respect of which €4.38 million has been paid on account.

In the course of 2003, three cases were prosecuted, with fines being imposed in two cases and a suspended sentence imposed in the other. The individuals concerned have also settled their tax affairs and paid the outstanding tax together with interest and penalties. A further case is under investigation with a view to prosecution.

Aggregate results of the ongoing investigations have been published each year since 1998 in the annual reports of the Revenue Commissioners. Individual details of settlements have also been published where the provisions of section 1086 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 applied.

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