Sir, - Dan McLaughlin states (The Irish Times, March 17th) that "almost 200,000 people left the State . . . in response to tax rates as high as 65 per cent on income". I wonder what basis he has for this remarkable assertion. There is substantial evidence to the contrary. We know that there was no shortage of applicants - many from abroad - for such jobs as there were at that time. We know that almost 20 per cent of the workforce who were unemployed chose to stay in Ireland knowing how they would be taxed if they did get a job. And we know that some of those who emigrated took jobs in countries with higher marginal tax rates.
So where is the evidence that those who left did so because of the tax rates? There is none. It seems to be just another example of ideology masquerading as economics. - Yours, etc., Kevin Ryan
Castletroy Heights, Limerick.