Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 131: To ask the Minister for Finance if any payments, payments in kind or reimbursements were made to members of the Commission on Taxation; if sums remain outstanding; if he will provide such information for each member of the commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32388/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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In recognition of the commitment involved in the participation of members on the Commission on Taxation the following fee structure was put in place by my Department when the Commission was established:

A fee of €700 per day where a commitment of a half day or more was required;

A fee of €350 per day where a commitment of less than half a day was required.

In respect of the Chairman the equivalent figures are €1,000 and €500 respectively.

I understand that the Commission is in the process of finalising arrangements with my Department to pay the final tranche of fees that are due to members of the Commission. Based on payments made to end June 2009 and on fees estimated to be due for commitments from that date, the following table indicates the total amount of gross fees payable to Commission members for the period March 2008 to August 2009. The Deputy may wish to note that all payments by my Department to the Commission members are chargeable to tax under Schedule E and subject to deductions (tax, PRSI and levies, as appropriate).

I am informed that reimbursement of travel expense amounted to a total of €537.60.

Cumulative amount payable to Members in fees

1Figure reflects a voluntary deduction of 20% on fees payable from 1 December 2008

2 See footnote 1.

3 Fees were not paid to Mr Hayes or Mr. O'Rourke at their request

4 Fees were not paid to Colin Hunt from September 2008 at his request 5 See footnote 3 6 Fees were not paid to Mark Redmond from December 2008 at his request7 Fee paid up to her resignation from the Commission in September 2008