Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)

I do not want circumstances to arise in which it becomes necessary to commission a further three-volume report examining the effects of particular tax reliefs. The massive Indecon report dealt only with property based tax reliefs. The information available to Deputies is out of date. We have still not been informed what type of public accountability mechanism the Minister has introduced for new reliefs, what type of modelling was carried out and what decision was made on the basis of information supplied to the Minister. We must be better informed if loopholes and wanton abuse of tax reliefs are to be avoided. The current system invites future reports of the type finance spokespersons had to wade through last year and could result in widespread overuse of tax reliefs, which would render them ineffective. I ask the Minister at least to consider making the relevant information available in a more timely manner and improving awareness of the citizenry, specifically taxpayers, as regards the way in which decisions on tax reliefs are made and the effects of such reliefs.

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