Since then, he has been served with a tax demand for almost €800,000 by the Criminal Assets Bureau and the Revenue Commissioners. The Standards in Public Office Act 2001 legally obliges any new member of the Oireachtas to produce a tax clearance certificate on taking up a seat. However, The Irish Times revealed at the weekend that a lacuna in the law means Hutch’s inability to produce a certificate would not stop him taking a Dáil seat. However, newly elected TDs cannot be blocked from taking up their seat if they are not tax compliant. And while they can be suspended from the Dáil for their noncompliance, they cannot lose their seat.

Source: The Irish Times December 03, 2025 09:42 UTC