Ireland ‘third most corrupt’ in Europe
According to Transparency International’s annual corruption index, Ireland has slipped five places and is now perceived as the third most corrupt country in Europe.
The index looks at 102 countries annually, rating them according to perceived levels of corruption among politicians and public officials.
Last year’s poll found Ireland to be the 18th least corrupt nation worldwide.
However, this year’s results show Ireland has slipped to 23rd place, which it occupies jointly with Botswana.
Of all European countries, only France in 25th position and Italy in 31st position were considered to be more corrupt than Ireland.
Ireland’s ratings were based on PricewaterhouseCooper’s Opacity Index, which asked prominent business leaders, equity analysts and bankers to rate the frequency of corruption in various categories, including import/export permits, subsidies and tax avoidance.
Earlier this year, another report by the Joseph Rowntree Trust concluded that corruption in Ireland was driving investment out of the country.
Jim Curran, Irish Small and Medium Enterprises’s head of research, said the finding was very worrying for small businesses, given that it reflected confidence in the public sector which ultimately reflected confidence in business as well.
“The fact that we have gone down five places when many Eastern European countries who are our direct competitors are improving is very worrying to business,” Mr Curran said.
Peter Eigen, chairman of Transparency International, said that on a worldwide level corruption continued to be fuelled by political elites and their cronies who take kickbacks at every opportunity.
“Hand-in-glove with corrupt business people, they are trapping whole nations in poverty and hampering sustainable development.
Corruption is perceived to be dangerously high in poor parts of the world, but also in many countries whose firms invest in developing nations,” Mr Eigen said.
Mr Eigen hit out at politicians, who he said have failed to tackle rising levels of corruption.
“Politicians increasingly pay lip service to the fight against corruption but they fail to act on the clear message that they must clamp down on corruption to break the vicious circle of poverty and graft,” he said, adding that seven out of 10 countries worldwide scored less than five out of a clean score of 10 in the corruption perception index.
Mr Eigen urged political and business leaders to consider the issue of corruption as not just a financial one but an important developmental one. “From illegal logging to blood diamonds, we are seeing the plundering of the earth and its people in an unsustainable way,” he said.
“Corrupt political elites in the developing world, working hand-in-hand with greedy business people and unscrupulous investors, are putting private gain before the welfare of citizens and the economic development of their countries,” Mr Eigen said.
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