Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 233: To ask the Minister for Finance if he is committed to bringing accountability with regard to gathering, assessing and publishing data concerning the costs and benefits of each individual tax expenditure up to the same standard as that which applied to direct expenditures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8013/06]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As the Deputy will be aware, I have recently published the external and internal reviews of tax schemes undertaken at my initiative in 2005. These reviews of two dozen separate schemes were aimed at providing evidence on which to base policies going forward.

The Deputy will also be aware that my predecessor as Minister for Finance introduced a number of legislative changes in the Finance Acts 2003 and 2004 that underpinned the Revenue Commissioners' drive to improve the quality of data on tax reliefs through the redesign of tax return forms. This information is gradually coming on stream and will over time provide better data in this area and enable fuller estimates of tax foregone.

In my recent Budget Statement I explained the consultancy reviews of the various tax incentive schemes included a recommendation that any new reliefs should be time limited and should, where relevant, be subject to an assessment of costs and benefits prior to their introduction. They also proposed that recipients of these kinds of tax reliefs be required to supply full data to Revenue to assist in the costing and assessment of reliefs. I will be following this advice as appropriate.