TADHG MOLONEY,
Sir, - Now that the Ansbacher Report has been published, the question that begs an answer is: where next? This report has revealed that leaders and captains of business and industry have been involved in tax avoidance for quite some time. In the words of Michael McDowell, the Minister for Justice, "Joe or Josephine Bloggs" have been paying more than their fair share of taxes through the years via the PAYE system, while some others have gone out of their way to defraud the Revenue Commissioners.
The Tánaiste, Mary Harney, has said it will be difficult to get prosecutions; Like others, I have come to the conclusion that this is because the law of this country, while it is supposed to be administered rigorously and equally to all its citizens, is applied in such a fashion only to Joe or Josephine Bloggs. In England, a jockey of note was jailed for tax-dodging, but nothing of the sort here.
People have been heavily penalised for social welfare fraud, people engaged in tax scams walk around scot free. It will be interesting to see if justice is dealt out to such people in in such a way that it is not only done, but is seen to be done. - Yours, etc.,
TADHG MOLONEY, High Meadows, Gouldavoher, Limerick.
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Sir, - Liveline and your Letters page will let us know the public's feelings about the Ansbacher Report. Is it more or less important than the FAI's deal with Sky TV? - Yours, etc.,
MARK P. DALY, Foxrock Avenue, Foxrock, Dublin 18.