Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We are back to the pandemic unemployment payment and there is a significant difference of opinion on the basic question as to whether it should be taxed. The issue is deeper than getting a report on how it is working out. It would not be physically possible to do a report within a couple of months of the year's end. In an earlier debate, we were asked for a report on how much tax arose a result of the pandemic unemployment payment. It will be well into next year before Revenue has people's financial tax affairs for this year in the system. Those people on PAYE will get their P60s, or whatever the term is, early in the new year and Revenue will be able to capture some of the information through those returns. A lot of people who are self-employed, and we have mentioned hairdressers and the man with the van who are self-employed, will not have to have their returns into Revenue until well into next year, perhaps September or October. Revenue will not know the outcome of this until it sees all of the income tax returns for this year, and in many cases this will not happen until well into next year. It would not be possible to have this information any sooner than Revenue can get it. There is a practical problem.

Because of the seriousness of this matter, I will give a commitment, whether through the Seanad or the joint committee, that some time after a couple of months I would be happy if there were a special debate on this, in light of information we may have, piecemeal as it will be at that stage, that will emerge earlier in the year. It is premature to have a report after three months, as Revenue will not even have the information that quickly. In light of information becoming available on the topic we can have a debate, if it is of any assistance. I cannot accept having a report because it will be the end of next year before we would have a meaningful report with fully populated information by all taxpayers. In the interim, I will be happy to facilitate a special debate or discussion on the topic in this House or at a meeting of the joint Oireachtas committee as Senators decide. I cannot go beyond that at this stage because the information simply will not be available for a while.