Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response. I have got the figures on the stamp duty collected for 2012. In order to take up one's certificate of taxation, one must pay stamp duty. The total stamp duty paid in 2012 for 367 certificates was €805,000. As I said earlier, the number of certificates issued in 2011 reduced from 796, therefore, all we needed to do to pay for a third Taxing Master was to issue an additional 200 certificates. The State is now losing money by not having a third person appointed. A total of €805,000 was brought in in 2012, when the number starts to decrease substantially. The new procedure about which the Minister spoke will not be in place until this time next year. In the meantime many people throughout the country will not get paid until certificates are issued, and that is taking eight to 12 months. I will raise this matter again with the Minister for Justice and Equality. The solution to this problem is to appoint a third Taxing Master for 12 months to deal with this issue. It will be cost neutral from the State's point of view; in fact, it will make more money for the State. I seriously ask that that be taken on board.