The Revenue Commissioners are committed to having more prosecutions for serious tax offences, the DIRT inquiry subcommittee was told yesterday.
Mr Dermot Quigley, chairman of the Revenue, said in the serious tax-evasion areas, there had been a difficulty in securing enough cases. They started into a more active prosecution policy at the end of 1996/97 and it was a steep learning curve. Before that, prosecution had been hand led by gardai under the direction of the DPP. The result was duplication of investigation and delays. In the 10 years to 1994, there was probably only one conviction for serious tax-evasion.
They set up a more active prosecution and they had eight people working, with assistance from the DPP. They had secured a number of convictions relative to the earlier period, with about 13 convictions since 1997.
Mr Quigley said they envisaged in their new structure a new division for Revenue prosecutions, which would bring together all the different elements. In that way they would have a better focus.
They might need some extra investigatory powers and they would be looking at that. They would also look at the law in this area in the context of next year's Finance Bill.