Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 222: To ask the Minister for Finance his proposals in regard to the concerns of a child care company (details supplied) in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38767/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The new scheme of child minding relief I announced in budget 2006 is designed in part to increase supply of child care and to bring informal resources into the more formal sector. Under the new scheme, where an individual minds up to three children in the minder's own home, no tax or PRSI will be payable on the child minding earnings received, provided the amount is less than €10,000 per annum. An individual will be obliged to return his or her child minding income in his or her annual tax return and also to notify his or her county child care committee that he or she is providing a child minding service. These committees provide support, information and small grants to the sector.

It is envisaged this new scheme may be attractive to stay-at-home parents or individuals who work part-time who wish to earn some income from looking after children of friends or neighbours. This new scheme should not be seen as a threat to the formal sector. It should be seen as increasing the range of choice available to parents. There are also measures in the budget that will assist quality commercial child care providers by helping with parents' ability to purchase such care. These measures are in addition to the very considerable reduction in the income tax burden on married two earners in the past five years.

The new national child care investment programme, which I announced in the budget, has the aim of providing 50,000 additional child care places by 2010. This will be over and above the 41,000 places provided under the existing equal opportunities child care programme places created since the start of the programme plus 15,000 further places which are due to come on-stream before it ends.

The new child care investment programme will have a capital funding stream with grant aid available to both private and community providers for the building or expansion of child care facilities and a current funding stream to assist with the staffing and other operating costs in those community facilities that cannot meet the costs from fee income alone and to underpin further development of the role of city and county child care committees. My Budget Statement provided that capital allowances for expenditure on the construction, refurbishment or extension of child care premises which meet the required standards as set out in the Child Care Act 1991 will also continue to be available. I hope the company concerned can take some comfort from the balanced set of measures and reliefs I announced in my budget.

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 223: To ask the Minister for Finance if the Revenue Commissioners will complete the tax affairs of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11, including the preparation of a tax credit certificate for the RAC; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38785/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I have been advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the person's tax credits have been amended to reflect his contributions to his retirement annuity contract and that his employer has been advised accordingly.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 224: To ask the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the large number of complaints to the Office of the Ombudsman regarding the inaccessibility of the Revenue Commissioners for PAYE workers; the number of persons manning the phone line; the steps that are being taken to address this problem; and if the tax affairs of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11 who has been trying to contact the Revenue Commissioners since September 2005 regarding tax affairs without reply will be regularised. [38829/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I have been advised by the Revenue Commissioners that based on their contacts with the Ombudsman's office a large numbers of complaints have not been made to that office regarding accessibility to Revenue by PAYE workers. Up to 14 November 2005 Revenue's lo-call number for the Dublin region — 1890 33 34 25 — was manned by approximately 38 operators between 9.15 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. During this time approximately 1,300 calls were handled daily. Since 15 November 2005 the Dublin 1890 service has been operating from 9.15 a.m. to 1 p.m. However, 70 operators are assigned during this time and are handling an average of 2,100 calls daily.

Throughout this year Revenue has been experiencing significant increases in business volume and the 1890 service has been recently restricted to these hours to enable PAYE staff to concentrate on working a substantial backlog of correspondence that had built up during October and November. I am informed that Revenue hopes shortly to return to normal hours of telephone service. There is no trace of any correspondence from the taxpayer in question. It has been established that two of the attempted contacts made by the taxpayer were between 20 and 25 October when the 1890 service had to be curtailed due to the launch of an upgraded and expanded PAYE computer system. Contact has been made with the taxpayer to explain the position and obtain the information required to process her claim. As soon as the information has been received her claim will be processed without delay.