Tax commission to tackle long-term public finance strategy

The commission, which will be providing high-level strategic advice to the Government, is looking at new ways to raise sustainable revenue to fund State commitments over the next 20 years.

Two key areas to be addressed are long-term demographic pressures on both tax and spending, as well as the implications of international reform on corporation taxes.

The independent body, chaired by Prof Niamh Moloney of the London School of Economics, is being asked to consider how best the taxation and welfare systems can support economic activity and promote increased employment and prosperity, while ensuring that there are sufficient resources available to meet the increasing costs of public services.

The commission is expected to issue a report to the minister in July 2022 after a series of public consultations on how best to arrange the public finances to meet the economic challenges of the future.

This is only the fourth time in the history of the State that a Commission on Taxation and Welfare has been convened.

The most recent commission in 2009 was responsible for making recommendations to institute local property taxes, carbon taxes and water charges – all highly contentious revenue-raising measures.

The members of the commission are: Marie Bradley, Managing Director, Bradley Tax Consulting; Philip Brennan, former Assistant Secretary, Revenue Commissioners; Sandra Clarke, President of the Irish Tax Institute, Partner in BCC Accountants; Rowena Dwyer, Manager of Policy, Planning and Government Relations with Enterprise Ireland; William Hynes, Senior Advisor to the Secretary General OECD; Philip Kermode, former Director, European Commission; Aoife Ní Lochlainn, Irish Environmental Network; Rena Maycock, CEO and Founder of Cilter Technologies; John-Mark McCafferty, Chief Executive Officer, Threshold; Tom McDonnell, Nevin Economic Research Institute and ICTU Nominee; Fergal O’Brien, Director, IBEC; Barra Roantree, Economic and Social Research Institute; and Anne Vaughan, former Deputy Secretary, Department of Social Protection.