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Man gently accepts bribe via Shutterstock

Almost one in three people paid a bribe in the last year, global survey finds

27 per cent of respondents admitted paying a bribe in the last 12 months, but more than two-thirds of those asked to pay say they refused.

More than one person in two thinks corruption has worsened in the last two years, according to a global public opinion survey on the issue.

114,000 people in 107 countries were polled as part of the research, carried out by anti-corruption group Transparency International. Of that number, 27 per cent said they had paid a bribe in the last 12 months, showing no improvement from previous surveys.

Two-thirds of those who were asked to pay a bribe said they refused, the survey found, while nearly nine out of ten said they would act against corruption.

“Bribe paying levels remain very high worldwide, but people believe they have the power to stop corruption,” chair of the group Huguette Labelle said. “The number of those willing to combat the abuse of power, secret dealings and bribery is significant”.

The Global Corruption Barometer found that in many countries, the institutions people rely on to fight corruption are themselves not trusted. 36 countries view police as the most corrupt authority, and in those countries an average of 53 per cent of people said they had been asked to pay a bribe to the police.

20 countries view the judiciary as the most corrupt, and in those countries an average of 30 per cent of people who had come in contact with the judicial system had been asked to pay a bribe.

In the UK, 65 per cent of those surveyed said corruption had increased in recent years, with 28 per cent saying it had stayed the same. Ireland was not surveyed as part of this year’s survey.

Read: Ireland failing to tackle corruption, claims report >

Read: How to prevent corruption in future: Mahon’s recommendations >

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21 Comments
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    Mute Ted Carroll
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    Jul 10th 2013, 12:55 PM

    I may be naive in thinking this but I would be quite confident that our rank and file Garda are not open to taking bribes. At the top however, when it becomes political I would not put anything beyond possible. Our big problem in Ireland is that old age Irish issue of who you know. Knowing a well placed Garda or someone in politics is enough to get people off with a lot of things. Even when a glaringly obvious issue is uncovered (penalty points issue which later became penalty points farce) it gets investigate by the Garda and low and behold no case to answer.

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    Mute Emily Elephant
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    Jul 10th 2013, 1:07 PM

    It’s also more subtle than flat-out bribery. I pay a politician fifty grand to get a piece of legislation tabled, that’s bribery. I contribute fifty grand to a politician in order that he can be elected to a job which pays ninety grand with add-on research jobs that you can give to your family, and then later suggest that he might want to get a piece of legislation tabled, that’s a “legitimate political contribution”.

    I doubt that Bertie’s friends who organised the mythical Manchester dig-out had specific requests at the time. There’s just an understanding that favours may need to be called in at some later time. And that can as easily take the form of things the govt does *not* do as well as those that it does. Hard to prove, impossible to prosecute, but it’s every bit as corrupt.

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    Mute Ted Carroll
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    Jul 10th 2013, 1:55 PM

    Well put Emily, its the whole cute hoor politics that we’re so famous for. You’d never find anything to stick with any of our great leaders.

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    Mute Graham Kiely
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    Jul 11th 2013, 12:03 AM

    Any idea where the two large amounts of cash that went missing from the Garda stations went to? Just asking……

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    Mute Karl Stromberg
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    Jul 11th 2013, 10:55 AM

    In all fairness probably a bookies

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    Mute Kardia Skepsi
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    Jul 10th 2013, 1:04 PM

    1 in 3 paid a bribe, 1 of the other 2 took the bribe. I guess I’m the last one who never even came close to seeing a bribe.

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    Mute Paul Radburn
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    Jul 10th 2013, 12:49 PM

    Backhanders in Ireland? Well I never!!!

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    Mute Brian O Cinneide
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    Jul 10th 2013, 2:34 PM

    They call them loans in Dungarvan de reir dealraimh.

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    Mute David S. Armstrong
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    Jul 10th 2013, 12:58 PM

    Try registering as ‘autónomo’ (self-employed) here in Spain without the overt hint that a few silver coins could speed up the process … dicks.

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    Mute Paul Doyle
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    Jul 10th 2013, 2:19 PM

    If you want to see public service bribery in action every year go to the national teachers conferences. The school book publishers lash out freebies to teachers to get to them to buy their books.
    They should be barred from attending these conferences.
    Any gift to civil servants is illegal, this has been going on for years but is ignored by standards in public office committee
    More corruption and sneaky deals by unscrupulous publishers that print their books in slave labour conditions in India and charge way over the odds for school books.

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    Mute Audrey Cepeda
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    Jul 10th 2013, 2:51 PM

    They give the books so teachers can look through them and compare with other text books. This is done so the best texts can be purchased for the students. Somehow I don’t think teachers dream about the next free text book they’ll be offered as a ‘bribe’!.

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    Mute Conleth Meehan
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    Jul 10th 2013, 12:46 PM

    Payed?

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    Mute andrew burger
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    Jul 10th 2013, 1:27 PM

    I got these cheese burgers man. Please man please.

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    Mute Mary Kavanagh
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    Jul 10th 2013, 2:18 PM

    Ha! I noticed that asxwell. *wince!*

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    Mute Mary Kavanagh
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    Jul 10th 2013, 2:19 PM

    *as well*!!! Pot, kettle, black. Sorry. :-)

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    Mute Ray Comerford
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    Jul 10th 2013, 12:51 PM

    I am never there at the right time :-(

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    Mute W.j.d.
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    Jul 10th 2013, 1:36 PM

    You get what you pay for….. Sorry vote for….

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    Mute Brian O Cinneide
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    Jul 10th 2013, 2:38 PM

    No mention of South Africa??

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    Mute Liam Kelly
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    Jul 10th 2013, 9:00 PM

    What has South Africa got to do with It.

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    Mute Frank2521
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    Jul 10th 2013, 5:00 PM

    Detectives use bribes and take bribes that is why they retract crimes. Whether or not some of the money goes missing is another matter. All countries allow for police to use whatever is necessary for the better good. Of course there is abuse but nothing is perfect. Would taking a wage every week from the government constitute a bribe for keeping your mouth shut — it is in Korea.

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    Mute John Buckley
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    Jul 10th 2013, 2:42 PM

    Mis-read it as ‘bride’! Those stats are probably as high!

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