Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for her question and for raising this matter. I agree with the many points that she made earlier. In updating her on the average waiting a number of people had to persist with to pay this tax which is difficult for them to pay, I do not believe it is acceptable that they should have to wait for 18 minutes for a response to their query or for their call to be answered, although I can understand the reason, at times, it takes a long time to resolve what can be difficult and complicated issues. On foot of the long waiting times that have developed, I emphasise, as set out in my reply, that the Revenue Commissioners have responded to them by putting in place extra resources and changing, where possible, the way in which matters are being dealt with.

On the Senator's request for an extension of the local property tax online filing deadline, I confirm that earlier today the Revenue Commissioners made an announcement on that on foot of a number of people like the Senator who have raised this issue. They communicated that due to the exceptional level of filing over the past two days and the unprecedented number of calls to the local property tax helpline, they have decided, as they did last May, to extend the local property tax filing deadline. Property owners now have until 5 p.m. on Friday evening to file their 2014 LPT return. This will still allow Revenue time to implement the individual's preferred LPT payment option for 2014. This helpline will be open from 8 a.m to 8 p.m. today and tomorrow and from 8 a.m. on Friday, 29 November. As was the practice last May, any taxpayer who has submitted a genuine query, whether by e-mail, letter or voicemail, to the helpline in respect of their 2014 obligations in advance of the filing date, will be treated as having complied with his or her requirements on time. I emphasise that point.

Having regard to the significant change that this tax represents to our tax code, if taxpayers have put in place a genuine query in advance of the filing date, this will be treated as having complied with their requirements. For this treatment to apply, however, they must file their return promptly when the query is resolved.

The Senator sought that the deadline be extended for a longer than that indicated but this change has been made on foot of the issues that the Senator and other colleagues have raised. We recognise the degree of complexity involved and the difficulty it is causing people. However, a great number of people have complied with it. The contribution it is making ti supporting our national finances is immense and that is recognised by the information that I have confirmed to the Senator.