Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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49. To ask the Minister for Finance the reason a local property tax letter was issued to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5 for a property they do not own, despite this person alerting the Revenue Commissioners of this when paying their 2013 liability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51054/13]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I am informed by Revenue that a key aspect of the work it has undertaken in connection with the administration of Local Property Tax (LPT) has been the development of a register of residential properties in the State. The development of the Property Register required Revenue to extract and consolidate data from multiple Government and non-Government sources and unfortunately some incorrect records were added to the Register in a relatively small number of cases during the process. I am also advised that the introduction of LPT represented a huge administrative challenge for Revenue. For example, Revenue has answered in excess of 750,000 telephone calls and replied to in excess of 210,000 letters or emails since March 2013.

Unfortunately, in the case referred to by the Deputy, the correspondence received from the person in question in April 2013 was overlooked by the LPT team and as a consequence the required amendments to the Property Register were not completed. The Register has now been amended and the incorrect details have been removed. Contact will be made with the person in question to confirm that the details are now correct.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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50. To ask the Minister for Finance the reason a local property tax letter was not issued to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9 who previously paid the LPT in cash; if this may be arranged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51055/13]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by Revenue that the vast majority of the 2014 Local Property Tax (LPT) payment notifications issued to taxpayers during October 2013. This included taxpayers who paid their 2013 liability in a single lump sum via a payment service provider. The exceptions in this regard were cases that contained data errors requiring clarifications to ensure the accuracy of the information held on the Property Register. In the case referred to by the Deputy, the 2013 LPT Return, which was filed by the person in question, contained some data errors and as a consequence the Return was listed for verification by LPT Branch. Because the outstanding issues were not finalised, no letter issued to the person in question in respect of 2014 at that time.

However, Revenue has confirmed that direct contact has since been made with the person by a member of the LPT team and the issue has been resolved to his satisfaction. The person’s preferred payment option of “payment service provider” has been input on the Property Register for 2014 and he is fully compliant in that regard.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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51. To ask the Minister for Finance the reason a local property tax letter was not issued to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9; if this may be arranged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51056/13]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by Revenue that letters to residential property owners regarding 2014 Local Property Tax (LPT) payment methods did not issue in some cases where there was a discrepancy in the property register. In the specific case mentioned by the Deputy, an error occurred when the 2013 LPT payment instructions were filed on-line on behalf of the liable owner. The individual who filed the return inadvertently replaced the liable owner’s name with their own name at the time of filing. This resulted in an unmatched property on the Property Register and therefore correspondence in respect of 2014 did not issue. I can confirm that Revenue is contacting the person concerned to clarify matters and to amend the property register as necessary.