Revenue ‘satisfied’ it has fully probed whistleblower’s claims

The Revenue Commissioners say that a number of Ansbacher investigations remain open, but that it is satisfied it has fully investigated claims made about former politicians by a whistleblower.

Outgoing Revenue chairwoman Josephine Feehily has said that a total 289 Ansbacher cases had been examined through investigations.

Six of these had not yet been finalised and of these, five had made payments to Revenue and four were under appeal.

In a statement to the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Ms Feehily points out that investigations into claims around accounts had been hampered due to a lapse of time, the lack of original documents and because a number of Revenue staff had retired.

Her letter was sent to the PAC ahead of its hearing today where Revenue will be quizzed about a dossier on Ansbacher cases compiled by Department of Jobs whistleblower, Gerard Ryan.

In the letter, she states: “Over the period from September 1999 to February 2011, Revenue received extensive reports, information, books and documents from the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation relating to Ansbacher accounts.

“All of this information has been examined and followed up and is included in the cases which were investigated by the Ansbacher Project Team on which Revenue has previously written to the Public Accounts Committee.”

Revenue say 289 cases in total had been identified and six were still not finished. Around half the total cases had yielded €113m in tax, interest and penalties.

It also says that since the start of the investigation, 26 High Court orders were obtained against financial institutions and third parties requiring the production of records relating to Ansbacher account holders — the most recent in 2013.

Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald yesterday used Dáil privilege to name six politicians alleged to have used offshore accounts to evade tax.

However, politicians identified in the Ansbacher files were not expected to be named today during PAC hearings when TDs ask questions.

PAC chairman John McGuinness has said that his committee could not investigate the dossier for legal reasons, but that it could ask for updates from agencies investigating claims.

PAC member and Labour TD Joe Costello questioned whether Ms McDonald was a suitable person to continue to represent the party on the PAC. Her actions in the Dáil were “a stunt”, he said, adding: “It is damaging to the work of the committee for a member to name people mentioned in the dossier against whom nothing has been proved.”