Results 13,061-13,080 of 21,203 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald

Public Accounts Committee: Investigations by Revenue into Authorised Officers Report (4 Dec 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Are they made aware of that fact?

Public Accounts Committee: Investigations by Revenue into Authorised Officers Report (4 Dec 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: How would that hold up in respect of Ansbacher? Let us imagine that in the initial tranche of information, I came to Revenue's attention and I was to be scrutinised or there was to be some form of assessment or investigation. At what point does Revenue make contact with me to alert me to this fact?

Public Accounts Committee: Investigations by Revenue into Authorised Officers Report (4 Dec 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: To move from the general to the specific, in respect of Ansbacher and wherever Revenue got the information from, if an entity or person such as myself featured in some information Revenue received, when would Revenue contact me? Standard procedures, anomalies or queries around people's tax affairs in the normal cut and thrust of things are one thing. Revenue has a specific Ansbacher team,...

Public Accounts Committee: Investigations by Revenue into Authorised Officers Report (4 Dec 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I want to know what the procedure is. At what stage does Revenue contact-----

Public Accounts Committee: Investigations by Revenue into Authorised Officers Report (4 Dec 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: We are here and the entire meeting was on the premise of Ansbacher. I am saying that if last year, two years ago or ten years ago, my name appeared on Ms Feehily's desk as somebody referenced or against whom an allegation was made, at what point would Revenue contact me and alert me to that fact? That is what I want to know.

Public Accounts Committee: Investigations by Revenue into Authorised Officers Report (4 Dec 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Is that consistent with a full investigation? Is interfacing with the person concerned not part of a thorough investigation? I would have thought that this would be the case.

Public Accounts Committee: Investigations by Revenue into Authorised Officers Report (4 Dec 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Not necessarily.

Public Accounts Committee: Investigations by Revenue into Authorised Officers Report (4 Dec 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I am conscious of my time. We have discussed the issue of the tax amnesty and that Revenue had a view, an instinct or a commentary on that. Did Revenue have a view, an instinct or a commentary on the closing down of that inquiry in 2004? In 2003, the very secret ledger was discovered, which Ms Feehily says was not so secret. It was made known to the powers that be in spring 2004, but by...

Public Accounts Committee: Investigations by Revenue into Authorised Officers Report (4 Dec 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: My final question is specific and relates to a short report that the official made to the Minister of the day in April 2008. It related to a payment of $400,000 by Alcan Packaging Limited made on 23 June 1983 into Ansbacher deposits. The official says that, because at the time of the discovery of this matter his investigation had been shut down, he was not in a position to get to the bottom...

Public Accounts Committee: Investigations by Revenue into Authorised Officers Report (4 Dec 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: We have a piece of substantiating material in the dossier to support the fact of the lodgement of that substantial amount of money in 1983.

Public Accounts Committee: Investigations by Revenue into Authorised Officers Report (4 Dec 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: The great difficulty in which we find ourselves while trying to untangle these matters is that Ms Feehily and her officials are restricted, as are we. It does not take from the seriousness of what is alleged. They are only allegations. Nonetheless, I thank the witnesses for their presence and co-operation.

Public Accounts Committee: Investigations by Revenue into Authorised Officers Report (4 Dec 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I am very conscious of the restrictions of the meeting. I do not want to trespass into any area that is not appropriate for the committee. However, I want to get clarity on this point. Is Ms Feehily saying that the new ledger as described by the official had already been discovered by the Revenue Commissioners so that while it may have been new to him, it was not new to them?...

Public Accounts Committee: Investigations by Revenue into Authorised Officers Report (4 Dec 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I understand. However, this is what a lot of this hinges on. I do not wish to be pedantic, but this is critical. At the core of his complaint - quite aside from the political arm of things and obstruction, which it is not proper for Ms Feehily to comment on and I will not ask her to do so - is that in late 2003, early 2004, he discovered a secret ledger. He leaves aside the political...

Public Accounts Committee: Investigations by Revenue into Authorised Officers Report (4 Dec 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: He passed on this information. From Ms Feehily's point of view, it was adequately researched and it assisted in the established inquiries.

Public Accounts Committee: Investigations by Revenue into Authorised Officers Report (4 Dec 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: It did not add any new additional names.

Public Accounts Committee: Investigations by Revenue into Authorised Officers Report (4 Dec 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Were any of the cases that were forwarded in the secret ledger disproved or set aside or considered to be inaccurate or irrelevant?

Public Accounts Committee: Investigations by Revenue into Authorised Officers Report (4 Dec 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Is it not astonishing given how closely he worked with Revenue, that he comes across something at that point in time which he regards as very new, as very secret and a new ledger but the Revenue said it was not so new and not so secret? That is the central point in his submission. That is his interpretation. Even accepting that the Revenue has broader powers, that troubles me. The Revenue...

Public Accounts Committee: Investigations by Revenue into Authorised Officers Report (4 Dec 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Please bear with me as my voice is a bit gravelly and I shall try not to cough.

Public Accounts Committee: Investigations by Revenue into Authorised Officers Report (4 Dec 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: First, Ms Feehily has repeatedly underscored the credibility of the former authorised officer. Clearly she regarded him and still regard him as diligent, capable and reliable. Is that a fair summation of her professional view of this individual?

Public Accounts Committee: Investigations by Revenue into Authorised Officers Report (4 Dec 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I did not invite Ms Feehily to make a commentary based on personality. I simply asked her to establish the professional bona fides of this individual who, as she has said, was helpful in the investigations carried out. I am surprised at her surprise, in respect of this dossier. As the Cathaoirleach has pointed out, Revenue should have it in its possession because that ask was made of the...