Questions must be answered by the Taoiseach, the Revenue Commissioners and Fianna Fáil TD, Mr Michael Collins, after he was revealed today as a tax defaulter and holder of a bogus off-shore bank account.
Ms Joan Burton Labour Party spokesperson on finance said it must be established how Mr Collins obtained a tax clearance certificate prior to entering the Dáil after last year's general election.
All TDs must furnish the certificate issued by the Revenue to the Standards in Public Office Commission (POC). In its report to the Dáil earlier this year the POC indicated all 166 TDs were compliant with the regulation.
But the Revenue's tax defaulters list published today showed Mr Collins was among 373 settlements worth nearly €35 million paid between April and June. Mr Collins paid €130,602 in respect of unpaid income tax and VAT, including an amount relating to an Ansbacher account.
Ms Bruton said it was "particularly shocking" that a serving Fianna Fáil TD was on the defaulters list.
"It must be emphasised once again that tax evasion is not a victimless crime. Every pound successfully evaded by a tax cheat like Deputy Collins meant an additional pound on the tax bill of PAYE workers who were, at that time, being asked to pay a very heavy rate of taxation in order to maintain essential public services such as health and education," Ms Bruton said.
The Taoiseach should publicly clarify what action Fianna Fáil took to ensure all their general election candidates were tax-compliant, Ms Bruton said.
She called on Mr Collins to outline when his offshore account was opened and closed. He should also state if he availed of the 1993 tax amnesty, she added.
Ms Burton also said the Revenue Commissions must state if the Limerick West TD was granted a tax clearance certificate subsequent to the 2002 general election, as required under the Standards in Public Office Act.
She also criticised the Revenue's record taking criminal proceedings against defaulters which she said appeared to be a secondary consideration to raising money for the Exchequer through penalties and interest rates.