Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

It is about the amendment. Ordinary people need to know what the Minister will do to introduce fairness and address the continuing anomaly of tax exiles. They were delighted to see the levy on the public service, with people on modest incomes in the Civil Service paying a large additional levy. What has happened to tax exiles? Nothing. The chairperson of the Revenue Commissioners reported to the Committee of Public Accounts that there are approximately 6,000 wealthy tax exiles, not including those moving in and out of the country for ordinary employment. I see people suggesting that this is not correct but that report is in the public domain. The purpose of the amendment is to get a report on this so that we can decide what to do about these people and how to encourage them to make a contribution. Making this country into a true republic involves all citizens carrying an equal value, recognising and respecting the flag and included in this recognition and respect is paying a fair share of tax. This does not mean an excessive or extraordinary amount of tax but a fair, moderate share.

One of the Minister's predecessors, Charlie McCreevy, said there was no pot of gold of unpaid taxes. In the past ten years, through the tribunals and various investigations carried out by the Revenue Commissioners into offshore tax schemes, tax exiles, non-resident deposit accounts, insurance policies and a plethora of other schemes largely availed of by people with significant resources, the collection of tax by the Revenue Commissioners amounted to many billions. There are pots of gold and, at a time when our health and education services are coming under increasing stress and strain, it is important we afford tax exiles an opportunity to contribute. If we have an open debate on this maybe we can recognise the contribution they are making. I acknowledge the contribution they make and good luck to them for doing so well.

In the United States, as a badge of citizenship, citizens are required to pay taxes. Most of these tax exiles have wives, children and grandchildren and are Irish citizens. They wear the Irish jersey and want to carry an Irish passport. Why can they not pay their Irish taxes? Let us have a report and a debate on what is happening. The Minister recognised the Cinderella situation last year where people were jetting off or leaving the country by helicopter at one minute to midnight. Many of those liquidating large interests in companies went offshore for three or four years to the south of Spain. This is the context of capital gains tax and other capital taxes being reduced to 20%, a significant but moderate rate of tax. People talk about it as if it was a nothing rate of tax but 20% of a capital gain is a significant but moderate amount. Even that was too much for most of these people. The Minister should move on this as part of bringing tax justice, tax fairness and a more open system of accountability for taxation contributions so that people can have confidence that the rich man in the big house is making a fair contribution. I acknowledge that many Irish people who have done very well have always paid all of their taxes and are happy to do so. They often give me great encouragement to go after those who find it difficult to pay a cent to the Revenue Commissioners voluntarily in income tax. Income tax is for the little people, not people like them. In a republic we must show that it is different.

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