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A FIANNA FÁIL TD has called for the €500 note to be done away with, because of its role in money laundering and criminal activity.
FF justice spokesman Dara Calleary told TheJournal.ie that he made the call after a UK report showed the €500 note is used by heavy criminals.
Banknote wholesalers in the UK have stopped supplying the €500 note after evidence from the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) showed that more than 90 per cent of demand for the note came from criminals.
The note itself has not been criminalised but people will not be able to get it over the counter in the UK.
Said Deputy Calleary:
I’ve never seen €500 notes myself, and there is not a huge demand for them. Large denominations make it easier for criminals to carry large amounts of money. What we need to do in terms of carrying cash is make it harder for people to carry large denominations.
He said he didn’t see the removal of €500 notes as having much impact on people in everyday life.
Using larger denominations enables criminals to transport large amounts of money without incurring extra weight, making it easier to disguise or hide the cash.
Though he cautioned that it is not his “number one priority”, Deputy Calleary said he was behind “anything that makes life difficult for money launderers or criminals”.
He noted that for the move to come into play, it would have to be looked at on a Europe-wide basis.
“It is something that I intend to look into further in the course of the next six months,” he said. “It would have to be pioneered and championed by the Government.”
I’m sorry but either this headline is misleading or we’re being mislead, the headline clearly says “drop in Irish medical costs” but goes on to mention going to places like Spain, Belgium, Germany, UK, Northern Ireland, Tunisia and Hungary. Not exactly shopping local is it?
How can they seriously claim this is an example of a drop in IRISH medical costs, it isn’t, it’s an example of how Irish medical costs are still higher compared to going abroad. Need a hip replacement? Well it’ll cost you here but if you want to hop on a plane, fly around Europe and see the sights it’ll still be cheaper abroad… but believe it or not thats just an example of how cheap we are. Honest… no seriously.
Hi Brian – the drop is in Irish prices since the last index on Irish prices, which was in Spring 2011.
It’s not a drop in Irish prices compared to EU prices – apologies if that wasn’t clear,
As for the figures at the end of the article, that is to illustrate the point that the costs differ between countries.
Thanks
Aoife
The article clearly says “The survey also shows there is a variation of up to 70 per cent in some treatments, with some people able to save up to 50 per cent by travelling abroad to countries like Spain, Belgium and Germany for treatment.” This would seem to suggest that Irish patients can save on their treatments by going abroad, for example it makes no distinction on Laser Eye Surgery between going to Dublin or Hungary, just that a major saving can be made.
On knee replacements they make no distinctions between shopping around within Ireland or abroad “Patients requiring common but more invasive medical procedures, such as knee replacements, can make savings of 9 per cent or c.€1604 by traveling to Connaught from Leinster. A further 30 per cent saving can be achieved by engaging the services provided by Avantis Health and having the procedure in Spain.” To be fair I do know of people who have travelled abroad for treatment, and it was much cheaper than here. We are being ripped off here.
Hi Brian
yes the article says that as a lead on from the initial point that Irish costs are in general slightly lower than in the Spring time of this year. The points are separate but connected:
- Costs have lowered in Ireland this year
- It costs less for certain treatments in different areas of Ireland
- It costs less for certain treatments in European countries compared to Ireland
This would suggest that people can shop around both in Ireland and abroad.
But this is separate to the point that the costs have lowered in Ireland.
The figures are included as examples – unfortunately I do not have the space to include all of the details for all the treatments outlined in this article.
Hope that is clearer for you
Aoife
The “article” is a press release from a company that makes money from people purchasing healthcare abroad, so I’d take everything it says with a large pinch of salt.
Yet again a press release from a company is dressed up as news. This is a bit like McDonalds releasing a “study” showing people can save money in burgers by shopping around and using their outlets.
And you wonder why people cross the border!
Just wondering how breast augmentation costs an average of €2.7k in Ireland when the average for the provinces and Dublin are all above 3k….figures don’t seem to add up.
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