Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THE LEAKING OF 11 million files of financial data has shown how a number of world leaders, business figures, celebrities and sports stars are concealing their wealth using offshore accounts.
Tonight the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists – a global network of reporters which broke the LuxLeaks story in 2014 and SwissLeaks last year – has published details of financial arrangements, called the Panama Papers, that allow wealthy individuals around the world to avoid paying tax.
The records come from a little-known law firm based in Panama called Mossack Fonseca. The firm is a world leader in the creation of shell companies.
Among those named are film star Jackie Chan, who has at least six shell companies run by the firm, drug kingpins and football star Lionel Messi.
Hidden in the files are numerous world leaders and their families, including Mauricio Macri, the President of Argentina, Icelandic Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson and the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko.
There are also links to the daughter of China’s former premier Li Xiaolin, a number of friends of Russian president Vladimir Putin and British Prime Minister David Cameron’s father.
The papers also link Fifa’s ethics watchdog Juan Pedro Damiani and three men charged in the football body’s corruption scandal.
The Irish Times reports that two Dublin-based companies have links to Mossack Fonseca.
Oxfam Ireland’s Chief Executive Jim Clarken said:
“This exposé offers a rare glimpse into the murky practices of tax dodging – and the sheer size and scale revealed is staggering.
“Every single year, poor countries lose around €150 billion due to tax dodging by wealthy individuals and companies – meanwhile 400 million people don’t even have access to basic healthcare.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Imagine the amount of revenue we could generate by legalising cannabis and taxing all sales. Furthermore, we could regulate the purity of the drug and make it safe for users.
Instead we leave this market to criminal gangs who use their sales to fuel violence and crime.
The amount of drug and gun seizures in the last few weeks just goes to show that this scourge can be tackled successfully if the guards and government put their minds to it.
@Nosmo King: we don’t want them to successfully tackle weed. We want it legal.
@Bobby: we should let the people vote on it.
@King B: Who are ‘we’? Personally I would hate cities/towns in Ireland to turn out like Amsterdam/Lisbon.
@Bobby: ah yes and then people who have a problem with addiction would just take out a credit union loan to buy this crap…
@Nosmo King: And we properly fund it and expect laws to be enforced.
@Shimmy Shammy: I’d say most people would have objections to that sort of extreme version of legalisation. Nobody is probably suggesting towns and cities in Ireland to open up numerous ‘coffee shops’ where people can walk in freely and buy cannabis as they please.
Legalising it in the same sense as tobacco would make sense. Having strict regulations on where it can’t be consumed i.e public places, pubs etc.
From a revenue perspective it makes perfect sense. It also would eliminate a lot of the power that these underground gangs have. Legalise and regulate
@Shimmy Shammy: they don’t have to be like anything. This is Ireland, we can put our own stamp on it. Cannabis clubs like there are in Spain would be a good shout. I’d say a fair percentage of the public would want it legal, it would save the country a fortune trying to keep a lid on it. Wouldn’t it make more sense to take the lid off and profit from something a lot less harmful than alcohol?
@Phil O Stine: Portugal have paved the way on how to successfully reduce drug addiction. Before they decriminalised all drugs, 1% of their population was addicted to heroin- a ridiculously high figure. Since then, addicts instead of being penalised are provided with support and help, instead of being locked up and pushed away further from society.
With weed use currently being a taboo topic in Ireland because of it’s legality, I’d imagine many who have a dependence refrain fro seeking help. If this was legalised we could regulate the purity, implement widespread awareness programs similar to alcohol programs. Educate people on what is safe and unsafe usage of the drug.
The pros of legalisation of cannabis significantly outweighs the cons. And just to add, this is coming from someone who hasn’t smoked weed before
@Shimmy Shammy: are you aware that marijuana is legal to the residents of Barcelona? It is regulated so only residents can purchase for private personal use in their home – no smoking on the street.
Why can’t we bring in legislation like that?
Or are you just against the idea no matter what..
@Nosmo King: yeah you’re dead right. Why stop there we should ban sugar and meat too! Actually come to think of it weed is a plant….we should ban all vegetation too! Then we can all be drones eating grey sludge on the omnibus! That’s what you want isnt it ;)
@Nosmo King: guns should be there main priority!
@Bobby: imagine the carnage on the roads with drug driving increasing significantly. You’re living in a fantasy land if you think the people of Ireland are responsible enough for legal cannabis.
@Shimmy Shammy: His point is very clear, he wants a vote where the people of Ireland choose what they want whether it be for or against, thats the ‘we’ he is referring to, wheres the confusion? You would also get your vote its called Democracy
@Bobby: is it guaranteed also if it is legalised will they stay at home and not drive?
@Terry Walks: That’s the spirit, Terry.
@King B: I never mentioned weed in my comment.
@Nosmo King: a niave comment from someone who doesn’t know what they’re talking about. It looks good to people like yourself. It really doesn’t matter. Nobody will be without their joint this evening. Legalise, regulate, educate and tax.
@Liam Byrne: imagine the carnage on the roads when they legalised alcohol !!! Only a tiny percentage of people who drink are foolish enough to get behind a wheel, since every has the right to access to alcohol, those who drink and drive would be near equal to those who consume cannabis and drive.
I’m sick and tired of laws and restrictions being implemented for the smallest minority. Society will always have its fair share of fools, we can’t regulate all of society to stop them because we will in up in a totalitarian society in an attempt to protect the 0.001% from themselves. Its counter intuitive.
@Derek: 0.001% is one person in 100,000. I sincerely wish that there were only that many fools in Ireland.
@Bobby: Plenty of information & education on the dangers of tobacco smoking yet in remains a major issue. Causes lung cancer and other respiratory problems which cost the health service a fortune every year.
Based on that how well do you think education & information on weed would work?
@Nosmo King: How many billions have been spent trying to do this? How many lives have been lost by gangs fighting aroumd the world? How can you belive your statment to be true? Inform your self . No body slaps the beer from your hand when alcohol had much worse effect on your body and on socity. You should learn why it was made illegal in the first palce , RACISM and fear of inovation in paper. Educate your self
@Phil O Stine: What proof do you have of this?
@Nosmo King: you’re just splitting hairs now. Weed is a drug.
@Terry Walks:weed is a psychoactive drug with harmful long term effects on the brain and is a gateway to harder drugs. but sure telling a pot head that is pointless so I’ll say no more
@Martin Gordon: gateway? It’s legal in Canada where I live. Funny enough you wouldn’t even notice. I don’t smoke weed because I don’t smoke. Should I be worried that I’ll start taking drugs because it’s a gateway?
You sound like an idiot with a comment like that.
@Nosmo King: are you on drugs?! Those seizures pittance in the drug trade!
@Bobby: I don’t see many psychiatrists agreeing with you. Awful drug.
@Martin Gordon: Where’s the gateway dippy? I bet most people smoked a cigarette first. Then had a drink. They’re your gateway drugs but sure telling a brain dead person that is pointless so I’ll say no more.
@King B: It certainly would and it’s an optional way of boosting the economy, not to mention helping people who suffer from nausea during chemo. Having said that, I was at a hilarious talk on growing it in Holland. The speaker had an interesting slideshow but he’d inexplicably forgotten how to use a mouse, so it ended up with him just passing samples around. I don’t think he got them all back.
Less intoxicating and less harmful than alcohol and yet we’re still at this.
@Ron Kingston: and what about the paranoia
@Paddy Dunne: a few deep breaths and you’ll be grand
@Paddy Dunne: What’s there to be paranoid about if you’re not doing something illegal?
@Paddy Dunne: What about alcohol poisoning, obesity or overhydration? Too much of anything is a bad thing.
@Paddy Dunne: paranoia? Do you get your information from watching refer madness? The ignorance on these comment sections is unbelievable..
@Paddy Dunne: Paranoia aha
hahahaha you haven’t a Clue
@Ferdia McManamon: Weed does make some people paranoid. So do a lot of things though.
@Ruairi Dowdall: it doesn’t suit some people to be fair. Like anything that alters mood it isn’t something that should be used every day.
@Ferdia McManamon: you think so , you must be talking about yourself so , ignorance if the highest order , as someone who has been dealing with teenagers with paranoia as a result of taking weed , my advice to you would be to stay quiet , people react differently to taking that drug and for the likes of you to be trivialising it just goes to show how little you know ,
Regards
@Ron Kingston: true fact
@Logan Shepherd: agreed some people have no issue but the amount of youngsters who are getting parodied and ending up suicidal as a result of it is shocking
@Cynical: I agree with you bud , they are a problem too obesity is a going to be a huge problem and drink has always been a problem
@Paddy Dunne: that’s a very fair point and a massive reason as to why it should be legalised. Kids will always get there hands on it just like drink, but it’s far more controlled and safe than young people smoking the weed equivalent to potín.
There’s an article below about weed that has 25%thc, it’s lovely weed but the experts are worried it’s too strong for younger people or people who don’t smoke regularly. You can’t buy that strength weed in Amsterdam or I think Spain as they have it regulated. Regulation makes it safer, personally I feel it’s a no brainer.
@King B: I’ve never used it myself but have seen the positive and negative impact of it on friends who do. Based on that experience alone, I agree with you.
@Paddy Dunne: Maybe they are paranoid about thier parents over reaction.
@Paddy Dunne: ya teenagers? How many teenagers are treated each year for alcohol dependency and the effects that has on everyone’s mental state? The dangers of cannabis is tiny compared to effects of everything else. So because ,under your logic, “some people” who react differently to alcohol means it should be illegal for everyone else, who use it medically and recreationally? If you stopped geting your information on the dangers of cannabis from the Regan administration and opened a book,read a study or even get in contact with someone who uses cannabis medically. And if you really want to know the real killer in this country ,well for young men anyway ,is suicide , so stick to treating your imaginary teenagers and do some proper reading…
@Paddy Dunne: shut up. Why you even commenting ….. clown.
Laois is just one big ditch
@Michael Wynne: Michael you are a clown have you ever been to laois
@Marty Lawless: why would anyone want to go to Laois?
@Joey Roche: laois is a beautiful county I love my county Joey you are another clown
@Marty Lawless: plenty of the ole wacky backy down there ahh!
Is this really the most valuable use of the Gardai’s time and efforts? Smoke a bit of grass at home and you hurt nobody but maybe yourself (less than with alcohol really). All it does is make you waste your day a bit.
Sure, if you smoke it too often you can end up with problems, same with alcohol.
I just think it’s weird how the Gardai turn a blind eye to dangerous parking on corners, footpaths, and cycle lanes, can’t seem to shift themselves to prosecute “minor” assaults, but are all gung-ho about seizing some plants.
Where you getting your info about turning a blind eye. How would yiu know what car they have ticketed.
@Seaniecp:
Given the prevalence of the issue, the Gardai doing it themselves, and seeing Gardai pass & ignore it, it’s not a huge stretch to say “they’re turning a blind eye”
Ireland is the only country in Europe where you can be walking on the footpath and have a car start beeping at you to get out of the way so they can park. I’ve never had to jump out of the way of a car in any other country but Ireland.
@: the “it’s fine to park on the footpath” has always confused me
@Rachel B:
It’s not fine, it’s illegal. People only think it’s fine because the Gardai never ticket
You dont know that they dont ticket takes 2 second to jot a registration. Theres no physical ticket left. So come back with some numbers please cheers.
This should be given out with the 350 a week payment free of charge for those worried about their jobs to have a few smokes to take their mind off things
Someone is probably gonna pay with their life for that mistake unfortunately
@Del Bear: hardly a loss to society to be fair
@Del Bear:
A bit of a beating more likely. Most of the serious gangland violence is related to cocaine, sometimes heroin. But cocaine for whatever reason (probably the price, and the fact that the dealers are often coke-heads themselves) coke gangs are the most vicious.
@Thomas Meaney: that comment over a plant.
@Thomas Meaney: imagine writing that about someone who crashes a lorry carrying a million quids worth of drink and dies in the accident… Bar the loss of tax revenue to the government, what’s the difference? I’d genuinely struggle to say who was supplying something which is worse for society.
@: price point, where it comes from and production costs.
@Mary Morrisey:
Yeah, idk how cocaine is socially acceptable given the horrors related to it. From the violent cartels producing it, to the gangs here distributing it, it’s blood from start to finish
That works out to 20 grand a kilo, are they sure it was not coke at that price
@Richard Cronin: 20 grand a kilo haha that’s a serious stretch.
@Craig Clancy: I thnk they quote street value
That makes it 20k euro per kilo, 560e per ounce or 20e per gram. Nonsense figures.
@Conrad Leech: yeah they must use the same old calculator between them,regardless weed is expensive thank god I stopped smoking years ago!
Could it be refined in some way for medicinal purposes?
62kgs in a ditch! just bring it indoors and tax the hell out of it already!
That’s alotta buds
If guards want to catch the dealers, it would be better to replace the canabis with a bag of lettuce and stake the area. No pt making big announcement as opportunity is now lost..
Sadly nobody was caught ——-Huge loss for the legal profession!!
every cloud has a silver lining
Watch this space..a shooting or suitcase will follow..the guards were prob a mile up road .anyone else agree that this guard thing on the roads has found a lot of drugs.keep them out there.the scales and mini bags were idol last night.
I’ve been smoking weed since I was a teenager , I’m 44 now , I agree with it being legalized , but I also think it can bring problems , I gave it up 6 weeks ago , as it started to get out of hand , for the last 5 years I’ve been going through a half ounce every week, while I don’t think it’s physically addictive it’s definitely mentally addictive and can do harm the same as alcohol , if not taken in moderation , I lost 2 stone in weight and became very aggressive and angry if I couldn’t find enough to support my habit, I found the first month was extremely hard mentally to get off it, but the last 2 weeks I find my mind us clearer and I have a more positive outlook… when I think of all the money I gave to little scally wanabee gangsters it makes me sick ..
@alan nolan: yeah half o of weed his bit much,keep up the good work stay strong,even give yourself 6months or 12works,you’ll feel the results bigtime,but all it takes is boredom and back to square one but you’re doing good at the mo,that weed going about this country is old Spanish guff that they wouldn’t smoke!
@alan nolan: good man. Stay off it if u can. My addiction to it caused a lot of pain to my now ex wife and kids. The modern strains of skunk are really bad for your brain. Different to ‘a bit of hash‘ we smoked in the 80s/90s. The violence associated with the drug trade is to do with the money, not the type of drug. Every joint is drenched in the blood of someone.€20 a gramme in my experience is pretty standard.
If it was to be made legal i think pubs and pharmacies should be the ones to sell it. They already sell drugs, already have the controls in place to regulate who can buy it. In canada where its legal i think i read that the age people start smoking has lowered.
Overall it is not a good thing, nor is alcohol, our underage drinking problem stems from example.
@Learned Chew: yeah 80/90 is when i use to smoke the hash was good quality back then utter tripe nowadays,yeah of it since 99/00 around then best thing i ever done!
Is it from personal experience of the cost that some people on here are questioning the value of this find?
Legalise and regulate
Legalise it and tax it? Same as with tobacco? Hasn’t stopped criminals getting involved in smuggling that drug. Why should cannabis be any different?
I live in Canada where you buy it in the shop. There’s been no real difference since legalization in anti social issues. Prices have dropped if you buy it from other sources so either way you look at it it has taken money out of smugglers hands and put it ba k into the community. Each province is given money to spend on different projects from the revenue produced
I have heard of “under the tree at Spar” but never “under a bush at Arles!”
The Garda can’t do maths
Seized!! Wonder did the did put up a fight.
Seize or find
They found it
@biggybald: (intelligence led)according to another app so who knows!
Hope they don’t ditch it now.
Don’t ask me how but that’s the strain (Wedding Cake) of the menu!
have your say