Bertie brushes off black economy blunder

THE Taoiseach tried to brush off any embarrassment last night over public remarks he made about his past life in the black economy and not paying tax.

As the Revenue Commissioners published the largest ever list of settlements with tax dodgers, worth €28.6 million, Bertie Ahern denied he was condoning tax avoidance or working on the black market.

At a social function earlier this week, Mr Ahern told the audience that in his younger days in the 1970s he had jobs in which he did not pay any tax.