TAOISEACH Enda Kenny is forwarding constituents' CVs to state bodies.

Mr Kenny sent the curriculum vitae of a job-hunter to the chairman of the Revenue Commissioners, Josephine Feehily. It was accompanied by a letter signed personally by Mr Kenny and written on official Department of the Taoiseach notepaper.

His office said there is nothing unusual about the practice and denied it amounts to an abuse of power.

A spokesman said Mr Kenny routinely forwards correspondence he receives to the relevant government department or state agency.

However, Fianna Fail jobs spokesman Dara Calleary said there should be a clear delineation between Mr Kenny's job as head of government and his work as a constituency TD.

A spokesman for the Revenue said its recruitment process was "resolutely independent" and, in any event, it was not recruiting at the time of Mr Kenny's letter.

Mr Kenny's intervention came to light after the Irish Independent secured access to hundreds of letters written by politicians to Revenue officials in recent years.

The disclosures are at odds with Mr Kenny's promise to the electorate that a Fine Gael-led government would move away from parish pump politics and focus instead on revitalising the economy. In fact, the records reveal that Mr Kenny was the most frequent lobbyist of Ms Feehily's office, writing to her on 22 occasions since becoming Taoiseach.

He also wrote to the Revenue in connection with a court summons, a High Court case and proposals by a constituent to make smaller repayments of VAT arrears.

The letters show several other high-profile politicians sought to influence Revenue decisions, usually by seeking more lenient terms for constituents facing tax bills or fines.

Many of the letters seen by this newspaper detail the huge financial pressures small businesses are under as a result of the economic collapse.

Time and again, TDs urged Revenue to take a more lenient approach, arguing that jobs will be lost and communities devastated if officials did not allow breathing space.

DISABILITIES

Trade and Development Minister Joe Costello and Small Business Minister John Perry were among those who lobbied for Revenue to cut new deals for people and businesses with tax arrears.

The records show Mr Perry, who himself borrowed money last year to pay tax arrears of €100,000 and is in a race against time to clear debts of €2.5m with Danske Bank, contacted Ms Feehily's and other Revenue offices at least 13 times to raise concerns for constituents.

Although the Revenue says it is not influenced by such lobbying, the records reveal that people facing penalties for using illegal fuel in their cars had fines reduced following approaches by Housing Minister Jan O'Sullivan and Independent TD Michael Lowry.

Only one TD, Donegal South-West Independent Thomas Pringle, wrote more often to the Revenue than Mr Kenny. However, unlike Mr Kenny, all of his 27 representations were addressed to local Revenue offices and not to Ms Feehily.

Others who frequently contacted Revenue include former Fianna Fail minister Eamon O Cuiv, Fianna Fail justice spokesman Niall Collins, Junior Defence Minister Paul Kehoe of Fine Gael and Labour TD Jack Wall.

Several letters lobbied for people with disabilities to have tax relief requests reconsidered.

Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore asked for a constituent to be reconsidered for a disabled vehicle tax relief, worth up to €9,500, even though the Revenue found the man did not meet the medical criteria.

Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin lobbied the Revenue to give "a sympathetic review" to a case where a disabled driver was refused a tax concession. The eventual outcomes of these cases were not disclosed.

The Revenue said members of the Oireachtas were entitled to articulate a constituent's concerns, but insisted that it remained "steadfastly independent in its interpretation and application of the law and administrative procedures".

In a statement, it said: "Revenue recognises that the tax system can be complex, especially for people without an agent.

"Many representations are straightforward requests for information or advice for a constituent; others are about issues in the tax code. All are handled in accordance with Revenue's independence."

Irish Independent