The only effective deterrent to tax evasion in this State was jail, the leader of the Labour Party, Mr Ruairi Quinn, said yesterday.
"We have seen the large-scale undermining of our civic culture by the culture of tax evasion revealed in recent years. But it will continue until we send out a strong signal that it won't be tolerated and when discovered will be dealt with severely," he said.
Figures released to Mr Quinn in answer to a parliamentary question to the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, reveal that nobody served time in jail for tax offences between 1997 and last year. In comparison, six people were jailed for defrauding social welfare last year alone.