O Caolán supports disclosure of Ansbacher names
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There is mounting public anger at the extent to which the wealthiest in our society deprived their fellow citizens of essential State services by defrauding massive amounts of tax.
Caoimhghín O Caoláin
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Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín O Caoláin is supporting the Private Members motion in the Dáil this week seeking to make public the names of the Ansbacher account holders.
Speaking on the resumption of the Dáil after the summer recess, the Cavan/Monaghan TD said:
``There is mounting public anger at the extent to which the wealthiest in our society deprived their fellow citizens of essential State services by defrauding massive amounts of tax. This was at a time of savage cuts in health and education in the 1980s.
``The Ansbacher scandal has again exposed the greedy Golden Circle which has dominated Irish business and politics. It is ironic that the latest revelations come in the wake of statements from the Minister for Finance Charlie McCreevy urging pay restraint on PAYE workers who have been overtaxed for decades and who have not received their fair share of economic prosperity.
``The Taoiseach has spoken about `due process' in relation to the revelation of the Ansbacher names. The tribunals and the DIRT inquiry have shown that wealthy people who wanted to evade tax were actively encouraged by financial institutions and felt confident that they would escape `due process'. This was confirmed by the notorious tax amnesties introduced by the Taoiseach when he was Minister for Finance in the Fianna Fáil/Labour Coalition.''
The vote on the motion takes place today (Thursday).
While revelations continue about how the wealthy have evaded tax, the government is still dragging its feet on introducing the promised National Minimum Wage. On the Order of Business in the Dáil on Wednesday, O Caoláin asked the Taoiseach when the National Minimum Wage Bill will be brought before the Dáil. Bertie Ahern said the Bill would be published before Christmas.
The Sinn Féin TD said it was scandalous over two years after the pre-election commmitment to a minimum wage by the government parties, and given current financial scandals, that this measure to protect the most disadvantaged and vulnerable section of the workforce has been delayed for so long and will not be enacted before the new millennium.
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