Madam, – My wife, who is a stay-at-home mum, recently visited the optician and completed a social welfare claim form – just in case. Last Friday she received a letter from the Department of Social and Family Affairs asking that she forward a statement of taxable earnings from the Revenue Commissioners.
Surely the department has direct contact with their colleagues in Revenue to obtain this information? I had foolishly assumed that all such data would pass freely between the various departments of the State.
My wife may receive some small benefit – or she not be entitled to any benefit – but whatever the outcome there is little doubt that the cost to the Irish taxpayer will be significantly more than she will receive.
In these days of highly sophisticated computer systems and with each citizen with a PPSN surely all this information should be available to all at the press of a button – or are all Government-purchased systems like Ppars – inefficient? – Yours, etc,