Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move recommendation No. 1:

In page 11, between lines 19 and 20, to insert the following:

“Report on special assignee relief programme

10.Within 6 months of the passing of this Act, the Minister shall produce a report on special assignee relief programme to include a quantification of revenue foregone.”.

The recommendation simply asks that within six months of the passing of the Act, the Minister might produce a report on the special assignee relief programme, to include a quantification of revenue forgone. The Minister of State mentioned in his general response on the section that we have figures for 2017 but we do not have any figures for 2018 in terms of the cost of the scheme. Given that the cost of the scheme was more than €28 million in 2017, which is substantial expenditure from the revenue base of the State, it is costly. It behoves us, as we move the scheme forward into 2020, that we would know how much it cost us in 2018. We should also establish quite quickly how much the scheme cost us in 2019. We should not operate with three year old figures regarding a scheme of this cost.