TDS AND Senators made 251 representations to regional and district offices of the Revenue Commissioners in 2010 on top of the 374 representations to the Revenue chairman by TDs, according to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act.
The vast majority of the representations made directly to the Revenue’s regional and district offices, amounting to 244, were made on behalf of constituents and individuals, and generally related to personal tax affairs. The remaining seven representations related to general taxation issues.
Former Fianna Fáil tánaiste Mary Coughlan, who represented the constituency of Donegal South West until the last general election, made the highest number of representations, with 41, all on behalf of individuals.
The next highest was Fine Gael TD for Mayo Michael Ring, now Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, with 16, also all on behalf of individual taxpayers. He was followed by former Cavan-Monaghan TD Seymour Crawford of Fine Gael with 13 representations, all on behalf of taxpayers.
The next highest was Fianna Fáil TD for Wexford John Browne, with 12 representations, also all on behalf of individuals.
The former minister for finance Brian Lenihan made the next highest number of representations to Revenue regional and district offices, with eight representations on behalf of individual taxpayers.
In addition to this, Mr Lenihan made 204 out of 332 representations to the chairman of the Revenue Commissioners on behalf of individuals in 2010. He also made 19 of the 42 representations made on a general issue to the Revenue chairman Josephine Feehily in 2010. Details of the representations made to the chairman were published in the Revenue’s 2010 annual report last month.
The high number of representations made by Mr Lenihan directly to Ms Feehily was due to the fact that 165 of his representations had been forwarded to him as minister for finance by elected representatives. He said this was a function of his being finance minister.
The Freedom of Information records released by the Revenue to The Irish Timesshow Brian Cowen as taoiseach made three representations to the regional and district offices of the Revenue, relating to individuals.
Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern made one representation on behalf of an individual taxpayer.
Just four representations by TDs to regional and district offices related to general issues about taxation.
At 625, the total number of representations made to the Revenue for 2010 was ahead of the 513 representations made the previous year. In 2009, Brian Lenihan, as finance minister, topped the list of representations with 109, of which 105 related to constituents.
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