Redmond treated the same way as others

Already there has been a lot of talk about the sentence imposed on former assistant Dublin city and county manager George Redmond for not filing tax returns over a period of 10 years. The repentant Redmond had pleaded guilty to the 10 charges and his counsel made much of his age, his infirmity, his repayment of all taxes owed and the sale of his own home to do so.

One commentator made the point that it appeared all one had to do if one evaded the tax laws was to become old enough before getting caught in order to avoid a custodial sentence, and others expressed surprise that a minimum of a suspended sentence had not been imposed.

The truth is that Redmond has been treated, rightly, in the same way as others who have found themselves before the courts for similar offences in the recent past. He was fined £250 (€317) each for the oldest five offences and £1,000 each for the balance. Fines in other cases have been, depending on circumstances, £250, £500 or £1,000 per offence and that is for people who have not had to strip themselves of every asset to pay the taxman. Why should Redmond be treated differently to salve our outrage over his perceived behaviour?

Don't get me wrong. What Redmond did was indefensible but his punishment reflects, more than anything else, the ambiguous attitude of the Irish and our laws to tax evasion.