Agencies defend investigations of evasion claims

State agencies and authorities have defended how they investigated whistleblower claims of tax evasion amid calls for a fresh inquiry into how they handled allegations against former politicians.

Pressure is mounting for a new inquiry to be launched into how gardaí, Revenue, and others investigated claims that politicians were evading tax through offshore bank accounts.

State bodies were accused yesterday of neglecting to probe the 763-page Ansbacher dossier of allegations made by Department of Jobs whistleblower Gerard Ryan.

Mr Ryan looked into Ansbacher between 1998 and 2004 and has claimed he discovered evidence that politicians held offshore accounts in the late 1970s to avoid paying tax.

Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald said the investigations by the agencies were let “sink without a trace”.

But Jobs Minister Richard Bruton’s department last night defended its handling of the claims.

His spokesman said documents from 2004 to 2010 were sent to Revenue, the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement, gardaí and two tribunals.

“It is not for politicians or Government departments to investigate allegations of tax evasion,” he added.

Gardaí last night said a review of the new material is under way by the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation.