asked the Minister for Finance (i) the amount of resource tax collected from farmers and the percentage this represents of the total due; and (ii) the amount of capital taxes estimated for collection this year and the expression of that amount as a percentage of total tax revenue.

The amount of resource tax collected up to and including 20 February 1981 was £592,417. This represents approximately 9.5 per cent of the total assessed. Resource tax not yet paid remains due and must be collected in the course of the year.

The estimated yield from capital taxes this year is £18 million. This represents 0.6 per cent of the total tax revenue estimated for collection this year.

Does this estimated figure of returns from the tax mean that the likelihood of recovering this tax has been waived? Is there no serious intention to collect it?

That is a matter for the Revenue Commissioners, as is normal.

Could the Minister explain why there has been this extraordinary deficit in the collection of this tax? Is it not quite clear that, if the resource tax people do not pay their tax, this will create great problems for those who do pay their tax? Why should their tax be remitted in this way?

The normal income tax procedures are being followed by the Revenue Commissioners in this case.