Tax avoidance widespread amongst Ireland’s super rich

The Government has been sharply criticised for failing to stop the super rich from avoiding tax.

New figures from the Revenue Commissioners show more than 180 big earners in 2003 paid no tax at all.

In last December's Budget, Minister for Finance Brian Cowen announced a range of measures that he said would clamp down on tax avoidance.

However, Labour's Joan Bruton says these new figures show the system is not working.

"We now have a much clearer picture of the extent of this very specialised type of tax avoidance scheme brought in by the Government to help the very wealthy," she said.

"It's basically allowing very significant numbers of them with astronomical incomes to pay no tax at all and it's also allowing significant numbers of them to reduce their tax to the lower rate."