DIRT letters passed to CPA

The Revenue Commissioners and Allied Irish Banks have given new letters to the Dail's Committee of Public Accounts relating to their conflicting evidence about the DIRT tax paid on bogus non-resident accounts.

The CPA had sent transcripts of the evidence given by the Revenue Commissioners and AIB to each institution and asked them to comment, page by page, on their disagreement as to whether a settlement had been reached on DIRT.

The chairman of the committee, Mr Jim Mitchell, said last night it was hoped to circulate the lengthy replies to members in the next couple of days. The material would be published in their next interim re port next week.

Early reports suggested each side had submitted a categorical rejection of the other's evidence.

Meanwhile, the Attorney General's Office will meet lawyers for the CPA and the Comptroller and Auditor General's Office again this afternoon to consider the committee's demand for new legislation to enable a full investigation to be conducted into bogus non-resident accounts. They held their first informal meeting yesterday. The Government and Opposition are determined to advance this legislation as quickly as possible to facilitate an inquiry by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr John Purcell, in the first instance.

For the second time in two days, the wording of Labour's private members' motion was changed following consultations with the Government, Mr Mitchell and Mr Purcell. The committee's interim report, outlining the legislative requirements to enable the investigation to be pursued, was incorporated into the revised motion.

It was unanimously accepted by the Dail last night.