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Revenue chairwoman Josephine Feehily will be questioned by TDs and Senators tomorrow. James Horan/Photocall ireland

Revenue chairwoman to face TDs' questioning on pensions debacle

Josephine Feehily is to attend tomorrow’s meeting of the Oireachtas Finance committee, along with Social Protection officials.

THE CHAIRWOMAN of the Revenue Commissioners is to face questioning from TDs and Senators tomorrow on the circumstances surrounding how 115,000 pensioners were told they may have to face additional tax bills this year.

Josephine Feehily will attend a meeting of the Oireachtas committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform on the fallout from last week’s disclosure that the Revenue had told 115,000 they would face an extra tax bill this year – incorrectly in some cases.

Officials from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform will also attend the meeting to discuss the handling of the issue.

Labour TD Alex White, who chairs the committee, said he was “pleased” that Feehily and the officials had agreed to attend, and to discuss “the communication of the tax situation for some older people”.

“No-one will argue with the necessity of tax compliance on the part of all citizens,” White said. “However, many pensioners are unsure of where they stand on their tax liability, and need reassurance.

“At our meeting tomorrow, we will be seeking clarity on the matter, and looking at how this situation was handled.”

TDs will also question Revenue on its broader communications strategy and how it might be reviewed. The meeting will begin at 2pm tomorrow, and a live stream will be available here.

It has separately emerged that up to 15,000 pensioners will pay extra tax this year, even though they are not liable for it – but that this cash will be refunded to them “as quickly as possible”.

Michael Noonan has rebuffed criticism that he made no mention of the data exchange between the Revenue and the Department of Social Protection, saying it was public knowledge that the data was to be shared with the goal of saving €45 million.

Read: Ombudsman raises concerns over Revenue contact with tax-compliant pensioners

More: Opposition cry foul over Revenue pensions ‘mess-up’

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    Mute ggg
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    Apr 25th 2023, 7:18 AM

    I always thought this was the one that will have him eating porridge.

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    Mute billy O hEidhin
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    Apr 25th 2023, 7:34 AM

    @ggg:

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    Mute billy O hEidhin
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    Apr 25th 2023, 7:34 AM

    @ggg:

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    Mute Gearóid MacEachaidh
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    Apr 25th 2023, 12:09 PM

    @ggg: yup. Of all of the cases against him this is the most likely to end up with a prison sentence. Easy to prove and automatic prison time.

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    Mute I9AQcjXs
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    Apr 25th 2023, 7:58 AM

    They are really pushing for civil war over there! the democratics want to be careful what they wish for.
    Where’s the charges for the people who repressed the hunter Biden laptop fiasco, and lying calling it a “Russian misinformation” all in the run up too the last election because it would have been detrimental impact on Biden campaign! Election meddling at its finest by the democratics and intelligence services..

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    Mute Diarmuid Hunt
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    Apr 25th 2023, 9:49 AM

    @I9AQcjXs: Are you saying that Republicans aren’t democratic?

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    Mute A$AP ETH
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    Apr 25th 2023, 11:03 AM

    @I9AQcjXs: it’s not the democrats prosecuting him. Hunter biden is a private citizen and a republican led oversight commitee has admitted there is nothing illegal on the laptop. It is a nothing burger, as they say. If this is election meddling, what do you call trump asking georgia to ‘find’ 11k votes?

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    Mute Gearóid MacEachaidh
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    Apr 25th 2023, 12:14 PM

    @I9AQcjXs: so Trump shouldn’t have to abide by the law because it might offend some of his lunatic supporters? Also you are way behind the time regarding Hunters laptop which even the GOP say is a nothing burger. Not to mention that he isn’t running for public office and never has. But you know who was running for office? Hillary Clinton, when her email story was announced the week before the election. But you’re not interested in facts are you? That’s why you didn’t know that the Laptop story has been done to death and proven to be much ado about nothing.

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    Mute Ciaran
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    Apr 25th 2023, 8:40 AM

    I’m not a supporter of trump but the alleged crimes committed in 2016 and 2020 are coming to the forefront now with prosecutions. He could have been prosecuted at the time but all this coming up now when he is running for election shows a pure political motivation to these allegations.

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    Mute Gearóid MacEachaidh
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    Apr 25th 2023, 12:17 PM

    @Ciaran: can’t prosecute a sitting president, he was in office between those years. Also this particular offence didn’t happen until the end of 2020. Prosecutions in the USA take as long as they do here.

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    Mute ggg
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    Apr 25th 2023, 8:14 AM

    Finally an article on Niall Collins but surprise surprise, comments once again closed. Why do the journal feel he needs protecting from criticism or questions? None of this debacle is before the courts yet. Cowardly journal staff.

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    Mute Numinous20111
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    Apr 25th 2023, 8:21 AM

    @ggg: Their website. Their terms and conditions. Their legal liability for content, including comments posted. I’m sure Their are plenty of forums on which you could comment online about that news story.

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    Mute ggg
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    Apr 25th 2023, 8:24 AM

    @Numinous20111: what legal liability? Nothing is before the courts. I’m thinking you may not know what legal liability is my friend.

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    Mute The Big Baba
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    Apr 25th 2023, 8:29 AM

    @ggg: It’s commonsense, not cowardice. We have strong libel laws in Ireland and the commentators on here aren’t exactly known for their ability to fact check what they’re posting.

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    Mute Numinous20111
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    Apr 25th 2023, 8:37 AM

    @The Big Baba: I can’t reply directly to ggg, so have to reply by means of your own comment. In your eagerness to comment, you are forgetting
    or ignoring that comments here can be retrospectively relevant if legal process commences. Think also of why Fox News fired Carlson yesterday.

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    Mute Robert Halvey
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    Apr 25th 2023, 1:37 PM

    The amount of sad deluded people that refuse to accept how the lying treacherous orange thing is playing them for every penny he can.

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    Mute I9AQcjXs
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    Apr 26th 2023, 6:34 AM

    @Gearoid MacEachaidh: nothing burger”

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