Bono defends tax move amid fight against hunger
The move followed a decision by the Government to put a cap on artists’ tax exemption.
He said U2’s taxes have always been to the “spirit of the law” and added that it would be churlish to criticise the band for what they were doing.
Taxes on royalties paid to artists and performers are close to 1.5% in the Netherlands, compared to 12.5% here.
When the decision was made to move, Bono (aka Paul Hewson) drew particular criticism as people believed it did not tally with his calls on governments to give more cash aid to developing countries.
Bono was speaking at University College Cork (UCC) yesterday where he was attending a meeting of the Hunger Task Force, which was launched by the Government in September and is aimed at improving Ireland’s efforts to combat world poverty.
The task force also includes leading economists, aid experts and academics.
The U2 singer said Ireland has come from further behind any other country in modern history to be prosperous.
“African countries look at us and see that we survived and prospered. Twenty years ago our economy was in the toilet,” he said.
“African countries want to know how we did it and this gives me pride.”
He added that there’s something poetic about Ireland leading the charge against world hunger because of its history.
“It has made me very proud as an actor that goes out on the international arena to try and raise funds.
“There’s something also positive about being in this campus which was built at the time of the famine to give jobs to the local community.”
Bono said he was in Cork to listen and learn from the experts.
“I’m good at melody and when the melody becomes clear I can sing and communicate and all have an important role to play in tackling world hunger,” he said.
He also praised Irish NGOs and said they are doing an incredible job in the developing world.
“I think we do a very good job. Long ago you’d have priests and nuns jumping out of bushes at you and now its the NGOs working in the developing work. It’s amusing but it says a lot about who we are that we don’t forget where we came from.”
Bono jokingly also asked that his band mates wouldn’t be told he was in Cork, saying they were as he spoke turning up for rehearsals in Dublin where he was also meant to be.
Task force chairperson and former Agriculture Minister Joe Walsh said Bono is an immense help to them.
“You need a public profile to get a project like this off the ground, and for the government to listen to you. There’s no question that he opens doors, governments are about masses of people, and Bono influences masses of people.
“We’re delighted to have him, he’s a great contributor, he attends all our meetings.”
Mr Walsh said the task force is about making more effective use of Government funds, totalling €813 million this year, spent on combating global poverty.
