Cowen welcomes investigation to Liechtenstein list

FINANCE Minister Brian Cowen said he does not know the extent of the problem of Irish people using tax havens but he welcomed the Revenue Commissioners investigating the Liechtenstein list.

The German tax authorities paid a reputed €4.2 million to a former employee of the Liechtenstein LGT bank for a list of their customers, which may include Irish names.

Mr Cowen, who attended a meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels yesterday, said the fact the database had been stolen was not relevant to the Irish authorities.