Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

This country needs to move on from the Taoiseach's problems with the Mahon tribunal and his tax affairs. Since the House last met six weeks ago, which is a disgrace, we have had turmoil in the markets with consequential worries about jobs, earnings and pensions, hundreds of workers were told that they will lose their jobs, a report detailed rising crime figures, there have been continuing problems in our hospitals and accident and emergency departments, there has been a cystic fibrosis controversy, we do not have the report on what occurred in terms of the women who were given the all clear in Portlaoise but who were called back and, after yesterday, a family is facing financial ruin because the parents tried to get their child an education.

During the break, there were a number of newspaper stories on the Taoiseach, his tax affairs and his inability to get a tax clearance certificate, which no parliament worth its name could ignore on its first day back. In an effort to give the Taoiseach an opportunity to respond to these issues and to enable us to move on, I wish to put to him a number of specific questions arising from the reports. It was reported that the Taoiseach made a voluntary disclosure of his tax affairs whereas the Revenue Commissioners are reported to have stated that he did not. Did the Taoiseach make a voluntary disclosure? If so, does it not follow that there is an acceptance by the Taoiseach that his tax affairs were not in order? Where does that leave the tax clearance certificate that he applied for and received in 2002?

The Taoiseach stated that the Revenue Commissioners cannot finalise his tax affairs until the Mahon tribunal has reported. That does not appear to be the way in which the Revenue Commissioners dealt with the tax affairs of Mr. Haughey or Deputy Lowry while issues pertaining to them were being examined by the Moriarty tribunal. Have the Revenue Commissioners confirmed to the Taoiseach that they will not finalise his tax affairs until the Mahon tribunal has reported?

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