Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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78. To ask the Minister for Finance if he has requested a full report into the Revenue Commissioners investigation to recoup the unpaid taxes, as outlined in the recent International Consortium of Investigative Journalists report on the HSBC Private Bank in Geneva; and if the details of this report will be communicated to Deputies in Dáil Éireann. [8360/15]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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My officials are in close contact with their counterparts in Revenue on this and all other relevant taxation issues and on that basis it is not necessary for me to request a report of the nature described by the Deputy. My replies to his other questions on this issue have set out in detail the Revenue actions taken.

He will be aware that it is a longstanding convention that the Minister for Finance does not intervene in matters involving Revenue and individual taxpayers. In that context I would remind him also of the provision enacted by the Oireachtas in the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 2011 whereby the independence of the Revenue Commissioners in the performance of their functions was enacted in Section 101 of that Act.

Revenue plays a critical role in securing and delivering a significant part of the financial resources required by Government to provide services and facilities for all our citizens. I am satisfied that Revenue approaches the task of securing the collection of the critical taxes and duties payable to the State in an efficient manner.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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79. To ask the Minister for Finance in view of the fact that the Revenue Commissioners recouped just €4.5 million from 20 Irish holders of HSBC Swiss bank accounts, the action he is taking, in relation to investigating the remainder of the 350 HSBC clients who are associated with Ireland, and their accounts worth a total of €3.1 billion; if it is expected that there will be further moneys recouped by the Revenue Commissioners; and if not, if he will report to Dáil Éireann on the reasons the remaining 330 clients are exempt from paying Irish tax, due on these accounts. [8361/15]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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80. To ask the Minister for Finance his plans to liaise with the Department of Justice and Equality to initiate a prosecution against HSBC Bank over the serious tax evasion, revealed in the recent International Consortium of Investigative Journalists reports. [8362/15]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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81. To ask the Minister for Finance if all the names of the Irish account holders who were allegedly evading tax through their accounts in the HSBC Private Bank in Geneva, as recently revealed by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists report, have been released to Dáil Éireann; and the follow-up actions that have been taken by the Revenue Commissioners and An Garda Síochána in relation to the account holders concerned. [8363/15]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 79 to 81, inclusive, together.

I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that, in March 2010, they became aware of newspaper reports that the French authorities had come into possession of information in relation to bank accounts held with HSBC Bank, Geneva. Revenue wrote to the French authorities enquiring as to whether the data obtained by them contained information in relation to Irish residents and whether the French authorities would consider disclosing this information to Revenue. The French authorities responded positively to that request and made a disclosure to Revenue on 23 June 2010.

The information received was evaluated carefully by Revenue and it was found that, for a variety of reasons, there was no basis for pursuing an investigation in many of the cases. These included non-Irish addresses on certain of the accounts, persons associated with accounts not being resident or domiciled in the State, Revenue establishing that, by reason of prior disclosure, there was no liability, and, in the case of the corporate entities, that they were Irish registered but non-resident for taxation purposes. The vast majority of the funds linked to Ireland in the HSBC data is related to the Funds industry.  More than 98% of the total related to the Global Funds sector.

Following this evaluation, Revenue initiated thirty three investigations. In eight of the investigations it was determined that there were no additional tax liabilities. Nineteen investigations resulted in settlement payments of €4,559,371. In addition, a further amount of €172,442 has been received, as payment on account, in relation to two appeals against tax assessments entered as a result of investigations into the account holders. Six investigations are ongoing.

In addition to pursuing taxes owed, the Revenue Commissioners have also sought to have criminal proceedings brought in any cases where the information provided by the French authorities and their own subsequent investigations suggested that there was sufficient evidence to prosecute in respect of identified tax offences. Three prosecutions have been secured, resulting in the imposition of fines ranging from €4,000 to €25,000, and a further case remains under investigation. On the question of possible further prosecutions, it is not open to the Revenue Commissioners to comment as to whether any individual or corporate entity is under investigation with a view to prosecution.

I am advised also that a detailed report on the overall investigation has been submitted to the Public Accounts Committee by the Revenue Commissioners.

On the question of disclosure of the names of account holders, the Deputy will appreciate that the Revenue Commissioners have, under section 851A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, a duty of confidentiality in respect of taxpayer information, and that they may disclose such information only where expressly authorised by law to do so. To date, nine of the settlement payments made to Revenue have satisfied the statutory criteria for publication and details have been published in Revenue s defaulters list.