REVENUE officials have consistently denied that intimidation has any effect on their investigations, but one of the Bills to be debated in the Dail today indicates the Government does not agree. The Disclosure of Certain Information for Tax and Other Purposes Bill allows Revenue officials to conceal their identities when taking court action against suspected criminals.
Officials seeking court orders would not be required to put their own names or addresses on court documents, and could give evidence in court from behind a screen so that only the judge would see them.
The measure mirrors moves in other countries to protect those investigating serious crime, and was suggested by a number of TDs last month after they saw Italian police officers on television wearing balaclavas when arresting major Mafia figures.
The head of the Revenue's investigation branch, Mr Paddy Donnelly, told a Dail committee last month that "uninformed media reports" were to blame for creating the impression that intimidation could be successful."Revenue do not back off when confronted" he claimed.