14/06/2012

Wallace Granted 15 Minutes In Front Of The Dail

TD Mick Wallace will be given 15 minutes to address the Dail over under-declaring his VAT returns.

The Wexford Independent, who last week admitted he reached a €2.1m euro settlement with Revenue, will speak at around 5pm today.

Government chief whip Paul Kehoe made the announcement this morning, two days after the Dail chairman Sean Barrett denied Mr Wallace the opportunity to make a statement in the House.

Party whips held a meeting last night to decide how to proceed with the matter after property developer-turned-politician Mr Wallace revealed he knowingly misled tax chiefs in relation to VAT owed by his construction company MJ Wallace Ltd.

In the ongoing controversy Dail ethics watchdog - the Members' Interests Committee - wrote to Mr Wallace yesterday asking him to authorise Revenue to disclose their dealings.

Chairman Thomas Pringle said the group needs a timeframe as to when Mr Wallace informed the tax chiefs of his VAT dodging and exactly when the settlement was reached, as if it finds the politician had these dealings with Revenue after he became a TD, it will have grounds to investigate.

The group could, if it investigates Mr Wallace and finds against him, suspend the deputy from the Dail for up to 30 days without pay.

(H)

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