Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 135: To ask the Minister for Finance the response received to date by the Revenue Commissioners to the letters sent by ten top banks to around 120,000 customers warning them to regularise their tax affairs by the end of March 2004; the number of responses received; the amount collected to date; the number of such cases that have been finalised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29848/04]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that precise figures are not available as to the number of letters which issued from the financial institutions. It is understood to be in excess of 100,000. It is not known how many accounts or individuals this represents because some individuals had accounts in different banks or in different branches of the same bank. In other instances there was more than one name on the account.

The Revenue Commissioners have advised that, following the issue of the letters by the financial institutions, written responses were received from approximately 25,000 persons. Of these, approximately 15,000 persons advised that they would submit a statement of disclosure. Approximately 10,000 persons who gave details of their offshore account were subsequently notified by Revenue that a statement of disclosure was not required. I am also advised that a further 5,000 persons, approximately, phoned the Revenue Commissioners and, on the basis of the information provided, were advised that a written response was not required.

To date the total amount collected by the Revenue Commissioners from this investigation is in excess of €705 million. The individual cases will be finalised by officers in the Revenue districts across the country when the preliminary work is complete.