Revenue: Don't call us, we've lost the number

A very nice official from Revenue called me this evening in response to my on-going campaign to find out how many people were jailed for tax evasion last year.

The secretariat had searched their files but couldn’t come up with a telephone number for the Press Office.

Fortunately, they did manage to uncover the direct line numbers of two Press Office officials. I’ll be giving them a call in the morning.

Bizarre isn’t it? The Revenue website provides emails and telephone numbers for every office throughout the land and beyond but if somebody wants to call central office, if such an office exists, there’s no number or email.

I don’t think there’s anything sinister or underhand about this. It just seems that Revenue, while providing contact numbers for every possible query regarding the payment of taxes, doesn’t see any need to provide a contact number for those who may have a question regarding their own activities.

And what about journalists? How do they communicate with a Revenue Press Office that has no telephone and an inoperable email?

Do they write letters?