Sir, – German state governments, with the tacit support of Berlin, offer boons to bank employees working in tax havens who can provide bank account details from German nationals. In the past five years, several of these so called “tax-CDs” generated massive returns for the exchequer running into several billion. Not only that, but these tax-CDs helped flush out thousands of tax evaders who, erroneously fearing imminent disclosure, turned themselves in.
This has led certain tax havens to strike unilateral deals with Berlin about the disclosure of bank account details pertaining to German nationals. This policy is not uncontroversial and led to one Duchy temporarily severing diplomatic ties, but it has been unmitigated success for German taxpayers and the German exchequer.
Why can’t the Irish Government pursue a similar policy? Its genius lies in its simplicity. Even badgers in the Dublin mountains know that huge amounts of capital was spirited out of Ireland into tax havens during the boom years. It’s time to get some of this money back and out the criminals who stole it. – Yours, etc,