Oxfam calls for wealth tax as the number of Ireland's super-rich doubles in a decade

John and Patrick Collison have a combined wealth greater than the least wealthy half of the population 

Oxfam Ireland CEO Jim Clarken. File picture: Stephen Collins/Collins

The number of super-rich in Ireland, with individual wealth over €46.6m, has more than doubled in the past decade according to Oxfam, as they called for new taxes on Irish wealth that could raise more than €8bn each year.

Publishing its annual report on the eve of the World Economic Forum (WEF) gathering in Davos, Switzerland this week, Oxfam said the number of Irish people with individual wealth of over $50m has increased from 655 in 2012 to 1,435 people last year.