John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Question 135: To ask the Minister for Finance if new powers being given to the Revenue Commissioners will be supported through additional resources from his Department. [4799/04]

John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 171: To ask the Minister for Finance his views on the recommendations (details supplied) of the Revenue powers group. [4691/04]

Charlie McCreevy (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 115, 135 and 171 together.

I established the Revenue powers group, chaired by Mr. Justice Frank Murphy, to examine Revenue's main statutory powers and report to me on any changes needed. I am grateful to the group for its considerable efforts in producing the report within a demanding timescale. I have decided to allow a period for debate and public reflection on the many and varied issues with which the report treats. Thus, with one important exception that would have arisen anyway, a power to allow Revenue access information held by a non-resident entity over which a domestic financial institution has control, I am not implementing any of its recommendations in this year's Finance Bill but will be reviewing all of the group's recommendations for next year's Bill.

My Department and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners have begun examining the contents of the report. Given my view that it is appropriate to allow time for these issues to be considered, I do not consider it appropriate to comment at this time on individual recommendations, such as those concerning new powers.

The Revenue powers group did not make any recommendation concerning resources for Revenue, but I have made sure that Revenue have sufficient resources to carry out their functions. Since 2000 I have allocated 400 additional staff to Revenue to give key work areas, such as audit, the extra capacity needed.