Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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193. To ask the Minister for Finance the amount of moneys accrued to date from the 2009 windfall tax; his assessment on its economic impact; the revenue earned to date in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36699/14]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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199. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of persons who have paid the 80% windfall tax on gains from the disposal of development land; the total yield from the tax to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36945/14]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 193 and 199 together.

I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that on the basis of Income Tax and Corporation Tax returns for the period 2010-2012 (the latter being the latest tax year for which the necessary information is available), there is no record of any profits or gains to which the windfall tax provisions would apply having been returned.

However, the Commissioners have indicated that the existing database does not include details of capital gains returned via the CG1 tax return, as information from these returns is not readily available for analysis, and, consequently, that if windfall profits have been returned using these returns, it is not possible to identify the relevant details.

There is therefore no reliable basis for providing the information requested by the Deputies.

The windfall gains provisions were introduced primarily to discourage overheating of the property market by way of speculative transactions involving rezoned land rather than as a revenue raising measure. While the property sector has being showing significant signs of improvement in recent times, the windfall tax provisions have largely been in operation at a time of reduced activity in the property sector due to challenging economic and market conditions. The operation of these provisions are, however, being examined (in the same way as other relevant tax provisions) as part of the normal preparations for Budget 2015 and the consequent Finance Bill.