Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I wish to make a few suggestions to the Taoiseach in the interest of simplicity and greater effectiveness. Relief for medical expenses does not include routine dental and optical treatment, or the first €125 spent by an individual or €250 by a family in respect of medical expenses. Those restrictions only add to the difficulty people have in making claims. Perhaps if these restrictions were removed we could implement a simple system whereby claimants would sign at the time of payment a simple tax relief claim for return to Revenue.

A number of other simple changes could be made, such as a reduction in the threshold for relief on charitable donations to €100, the look-back period for claims could be increased from four to six years, the cap on relief for bin charges could be removed, in addition to the removal of tax relief on routine dental and optical treatment and the removal of the non-qualifying amount. This would make the system far more streamlined and effective and it would be easier for PAYE taxpayers to claim back these reliefs from Revenue.

I thank the Taoiseach for agreeing to run a campaign on this matter and offer him these four suggestions that would make the system more effective and streamlined for PAYE workers to claim back their tax relief. These amendments will be tabled by Deputy Bruton on the Finance Bill which is on Committee Stage. The Government should consent to these changes which would not cost a great deal and would be in the interests of 500,000 taxpayers.

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