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WITH THE PUBLIC Accounts Committee currently seeking legal advice about investigating claims by a senior civil servant against former politicians, tax dodging is back on the agenda.
The majority of the latest tax avoidance claims relate to politicians who served in the Dáil prior to 2000 – although a small number continued in office after this date.
In 1993, the issue of tax evasion was also front and centre as Ireland introduced its second tax amnesty in five years.
The then Finance Minister – one Bertie Ahern - had no time for tax cheats, saying the Government had to take a “merciless view” on the matter.
“It would actually give me the greatest of pleasure watching non-compliant taxpayers going to jail,” he said.
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Is this post purposely aiming at causing a riot
Lol Oooh the irony of it.. He was also a socialist….. tried it out for 5 minutes!
CJ on Bertie: “He’s the man. He’s the best, the most skilful, the most devious, and the most cunning of them all.”
Bertie Ahern makes Al Capone look like an altar boy….
Hello pots I’m a little black kettle.
Lot of people still like that little black kettle
@ james g
What?
Yes some people like him alright…
Quango directors and beneficiaries.
Publicans, hoteliers and bookmakers.
Bank managers.
Fellow criminals and sc0mb@g lying cheapskates.
Have I missed anyone?
Get a grip…. Please! He’s despised.
He’s a Toerag of the highest order. Good he’s still around to remind people what FF are really like should anybody forget.
I think he meant there are a lot of people who are like him, not who like the man
It’s a shame that RTE the “people’s” broadcaster does not put up all their video archives on the internet.
I’m sure there would be plenty more beuts like this one.
Off to jail with u then Bertie
Should have been sent years ago. He has convinced himself that he did nothing wrong.
This shows his arrogance and selfishness. Should be hauled in to explain how he destroyed our country, and pay the consequences.
The Bert in all his glory..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN0DtRJYs_0
NOTW and Bertie, the perfect match.
This country use to accept corruption in our poloticians with a shrug of the shoulders and a what can you do about it attitude. But I hope with FF corruption of the not too distant past and now FG/Labour fu@k!ng anything they touch up. Irish people want a change. Teflon Bertie needs locking away the little weasel crook.
What did Bertie do with all his winning on the horses? Perhaps he brought ‘P.S I Love You” to the big screen.
He borrowed it all from his mate Paddy whom i think was a plasterer by trade
Well he did ensure Sky was not regulated in Ireland and harper Collins gave his daughter a book deal. Murdock owns both companies. Nothing to see here.
Then he payed him and his big Pinocchio nose mad money to get into a fridge. As if the daughter career wasn’t enough.
So, you’re saying it was a big brown envelope disguised as a fridge? Clever Bertie.
Fridges back then directorships are now the best brown envelope disguise
Hypocrite!!!
When my daughter turned 18 she opened a bank account! Go figure!
Despicable creature. Can’t seem to accept the fact that he’s intensely reviled by most of the population.
Bertie is now saying that FF / FG should merge. .. I always thought the were one unit… .. mmmmm.. well at least on the water issue… and the cronyism … jobs for the boys. . the list goes on and on… ….. on..
remember when he went up every tree in north dublin to find any evidence of wrong doing by Ray Burke and found none.
I wonder does Gráinne Carruth still get a Christmas card from Bertie. Or is he still not talking to her.
It’s a bit like Iraqis harking back to life under Saddam. Grass always looks greener and all that. Lets not forget Liam Lawler and Ray Burke etc etc. Not to mention those who got away with it. Writing into law all the allowances they can claim that would make an ordinary taxpayers eyes water.
Son of a bitch !
This from the guy who had no bank account at the time and a safe in Drumcondra stuffed with cash from God knows who…
Ahh the pup outa Charlie , still spending the cream,
Or maybe we should abolish the country – because we, and the politicians we elect, have shown that we can’t manage it.
Even though we’re not even 100 years old – and a lot of us vote on the basis of events around that old.
And not on the ‘here and now’ – and a very distressed economy which may have fallen/vanished without the help of others.
Who we continue to blame – and despise….
Da da dats all folks.
I hope they do merge then it will be a lot easier to cast them aside!
Oh politicians god they make me laugh, bloody hypocrites that’s for sure.
At least Bertie never charged us for water, twice. Bring back FF….
FF can just f’right off. Unless you have a cuxting short memory.
Stay with FG then?
Bill fianna failed brought in the water rates and estimated 450 per household
Was reading this morning about how Enda Kenny actually personally phoned an angry protestor up after he was sent a letter from him, the fella said that neither Ahern or Cowen had ever done the same, that’s the difference. FF should be punished for lying throughout the Celtic Tiger, let’s not vote them back into Government anytime soon please
Bill FG and FF are one and the same party. There isnt one single difference between them. None, nothing, zilch
your taking the piss as nobody could be so stupid.
Bill FF were introducing water rates too – keep up will ya
Really or seriously, as a lot of people put it – I find it very difficult to decide who to vote for.
Not FF or FG as stated here – and not the economic wizards/’former’ terrorists known as SF/IRA.
Who then – maybe go back to British rule? Our options are extremely limited…
Can’t be much worse economically considering we are 220 billion in debt.
Avoid tax! Don’t have a bank account.!!!!
10 points to the Journal for getting Garth Brooks into another article
How many is that now ??
Did you ever here the one about the accountant. Who did not have. A bank. Account!!
Is this the Pot calling the kettle Black?
A FF/FG coalition is a very real possibility after the next GE, they will forsake all the supposed enmity to ensure continuation of the old order. Avoid that by not voting for either, if it means putting a bit of work into grooming
community candidate then do it.
Sunday Indo just confirmed that they are a toe rag of a paper. Giving BA space to look like a nice guy!! Never asked him about his hung out to dry secretary or why FF did not complain to the authoritys that Pee Flynn stole €50k from the party which would have put Pee in jail where he belongs. Nice one Indo.. what say Gene Kerrigan !
Haha what a funny little crook of a man, bent as a nine bob note.He should be in Mountjoy
FF/FG are like Bert and Ernie…muppets
Feck off Bert and Ernie are deadly, don’t ever put them in the same sentence as FG or FF. I understand it’s a joke but some jokes are despicable.
snore——
I will be voting Fianna Fáil in the next election as history and the voting public shows that they are the best political party for this little country of hours.
You obviously don’t know your history.
gerry – the fact is, we are not capable of deciding who we want…….
Country of cute whoures?
I don’t know why he is still given the oxygen of publicity when in fact he should be consigned as a footnote in Irish politics history: Ahern, see Gombeen, noun: a fraudulent bollix: adjective : a See You Next Tuesday! historical; an irrelevance see above
Verb: doing a Bertie : lying thru ones teeth
I will always cherish De Diary of a Northside Tee shock a great case whereby fiction is stranger than the truth!
Now Bertie why dont you just GOLF TANGO FOXTROT?
@James
Bertie will be remembered positively and negatively:
Positively because of his role in the negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement
Negatively because of the damage that he caused to the economy
What a ‘C U Next Tuesday’, where is he these days anyway…he must sulk through the back lanes of the city after dark….haven’t seen sight nor sound out of him!
I don’t have much time for Bertie but there was no need for The Irish Times to publish the information about him that was leaked by a tribunal witness. The information would have been revealed legally eventually.
Furthermore, many people were aware of the state of public services in the early years of Bertie’s government but they still voted for Fianna Fáil.
have your say