Results 26,301-26,320 of 36,118 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (26 Feb 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Yesterday, Professor Gregory Connor came before the committee and he said: ...a misunderstanding of the big risk of systemic liquidity problems in the banking sector. That was also missed. As such, the economists share some blame. Would Professor McDonough agree or disagree with Professor Connor's statement that there was a misunderstanding of systemic liquidity problems and, if so, why...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Draft Heads of Finance (Tax Appeals Commission) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Pearse Doherty: I wish to delve into this figure issue further. It seems that this was the motivator for the witnesses' request to address the committee. I would like Mr. O'Callaghan to clarify for the committee a statement which was given by Mr. O'Leary. Mr. O'Callaghan takes issue with the statement and the impression which was given. Mr. O'Callaghan states that Mr. O'Leary's statement gave the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Draft Heads of Finance (Tax Appeals Commission) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Pearse Doherty: What about the Circuit Court?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Draft Heads of Finance (Tax Appeals Commission) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Where would the figure come from? I presume the Department has not plucked the figure of 600 from the sky. Given the fact that the Office of the Appeal Commissioners had been in correspondence with the Department last year telling it not to use these figures, why would the Department come before this committee and state something that the commissioners have refuted?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Draft Heads of Finance (Tax Appeals Commission) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Pearse Doherty: So there are not 600 cases under appeal for more than five years. I assume there are not 30 cases that have been under appeal for more than ten years.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Draft Heads of Finance (Tax Appeals Commission) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Take me through this like a child, to use that phrase. If somebody makes an appeal on a tax issue, whether it is corporation tax, a large tax bill, the plastic bag levy or property tax, is the Office of the Appeal Commissioners notified of each and every appeal?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Draft Heads of Finance (Tax Appeals Commission) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Pearse Doherty: There could be a situation where there are 600 cases that have been under appeal for five years, but it is not the fault of the Office of the Appeal Commissioners that they have been under appeal for that time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Draft Heads of Finance (Tax Appeals Commission) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Pearse Doherty: The Revenue Commissioners could have 600 cases of which they would have been notified as the first point of contact. Some may be before the High Court or Supreme Court and some may just not be passed on to the Appeal Commissioners.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Draft Heads of Finance (Tax Appeals Commission) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Regarding the assessment that there is €770 million pending resolution of disputed issues, what quantum of money is before the Office of the Appeal Commissioners at any given time?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Draft Heads of Finance (Tax Appeals Commission) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Pearse Doherty: The evidence that was provided - I keep on going into banking inquiry mode where it is all evidence - was that people are entitled to an automatic full re-hearing and are using this process to draw out the length of time. In terms of the percentage of cases that come before the Appeal Commissioners and go for a full re-hearing at the Circuit Court, what is Mr. O'Callaghan's best guesstimate...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Draft Heads of Finance (Tax Appeals Commission) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Pearse Doherty: If we assume there are 600 cases under appeal for more than five years, as was stated, under this new legislation, they will automatically come to the Office of the Appeal Commissioners first.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Draft Heads of Finance (Tax Appeals Commission) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Pearse Doherty: If I might pick up on that, I have read the statement and the only duplication I can see is that the taxpayer would write to the Appeal Commissioners, who would write to Revenue, and Revenue would write back to the Appeal Commissioners.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Draft Heads of Finance (Tax Appeals Commission) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Pearse Doherty: So that is two letters per review from the Office of the Appeal Commissioners.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Draft Heads of Finance (Tax Appeals Commission) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Pearse Doherty: To take the analogy of the parking ticket, I think the situation is that everybody who appeals a parking ticket should send the correspondence to the person who issued the ticket in the first place. Every appeal on a parking ticket is sent to the appeals process and is dealt with by the court.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Draft Heads of Finance (Tax Appeals Commission) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Will this legislation not stop this? Is that not the whole point? There are hundreds of cases with Revenue and it has not passed them on because, as Mr. O'Callaghan says, it is just a way for taxpayers to try to facilitate more time and engagement. If we are to have an appeals process, should it not be an appeals process? If I appeal my parking ticket - if I get one - then I am going to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Draft Heads of Finance (Tax Appeals Commission) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Pearse Doherty: I appreciate Mr. O'Callaghan's insight into this as it is a process that takes place in cameraand I am not familiar with it. If I had a dispute with Revenue over a particular tax, if the new legislation were to be enacted, and I were to appeal, I would obviously appeal to the Office of the Appeal Commissioners. Does that still allow me time to engage with Revenue?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Draft Heads of Finance (Tax Appeals Commission) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Mr. O'Callaghan is saying that out of 40,000----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Draft Heads of Finance (Tax Appeals Commission) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Of originally disputed assessments?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Draft Heads of Finance (Tax Appeals Commission) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Pearse Doherty: How many of those assessments issued would be disputed? Some of them would be just accepted.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Draft Heads of Finance (Tax Appeals Commission) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Pearse Doherty: I do not see a huge problem with the duplication, and I think it is good in principle that people appeal to an independent body. However, given the resources that Mr. O'Callaghan's office has, I can understand the concern he would have about even a limited amount of additional bureaucracy. The last thing I want to ask concerns public hearings. There was discussion here about whether...