Bishop defends priest who made €92k tax settlement

The Bishop of Kildare has defended the parish priest in Carlow who made a €92,000 tax settlement with the Revenue Commissioners earlier this year.

The settlement was disclosed yesterday when Fr Philip O'Shea, the parish priest of Myshall, was included in the Revenue's latest list of 138 tax defaulters.

The priest was forced to pay the money for under-declaring income tax and having a bogus offshore bank account.

However, Bishop James Moriarty claimed today that the matter arose from a "misunderstanding" and was not deliberate tax evasion on the part of Fr O'Shea.

He also said no finances from the parish or the diocese were drawn upon at any stage.