Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Coeliac disease is a serious, lifelong illness. There is no cure for it and any person diagnosed with it must go on a gluten-free diet. The costs are clear. According to the Coeliac Society of Ireland, this food costs approximately €1,000 more per year on average. If you have a family, it affects the types of food that the whole family eats. It affects where you go for recreation and to eat.

I welcome the Revenue Commissioners' letter to me in May, in which they acknowledged that progress was being made. The Minister for Finance has stated that he wishes to make it easier for people suffering from coeliac disease to claim tax relief or, where they cannot and do not pay tax, to provide an additional benefit to them in terms of social welfare or whatever the case may be.

This is over to the Minister. The chairman of the Revenue Commissioners has stated that he is studying whether additional measures can be introduced to ease the administrative burden on the taxpayer who is asked to provide additional documentation. What progress has been made in this regard? I understand that there is a willingness on the part of Revenue and the Minister for Finance's office to deal with this issue in an appropriate and caring way.

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