Bertie stirs up artists’ ire over tax status

BERTIE AHERN can now add the Irish artistic community to the growing list of those angered at the former taoiseach’s shameless pursuit of money.

On Saturday the Aosdána General Assembly, which comprises Ireland’s leading figures in the creative arts, passed a pointed motion stating that the group “deplores some of the recent tax exemptions granted to the authors of books”. It also called for the introduction of new artist tax exemption guidelines that were “in accordance with the spirit of the act”.

The motion, which was passed unanimously, was proposed by renowned author Anthony Cronin and seconded by independent Dublin city councillor and playwright Mannix Flynn.