Ireland fifth most corrupt EU nation
Ireland is viewed as the fifth most corrupt country in the European Union, according to a survey by the Transparency International monitoring group.
The Corruption Perceptions Index for 2002 gave Ireland a score of 6.9 out of 10 and ranked it as the 23rd least corrupt state out of 102 nations surveyed.
However, within the European Union, only France, Portugal, Italy and Greece ranked worse than Ireland. Finland, on the other hand, topped the list with a score of 9.7 out of 10.
Of the 102 nations surveyed, 70% scored less than five out of 10, with Bangladesh and Nigeria ranked as the most corrupt.
Peter Eigen, the chairman of Transparency International, said: "Corrupt political elites in the developing world, working hand-in-hand with greedy business people and unscrupulous investors, are putting private gain before the welfare of citizens and economic gain of their countries.
"From illegal logging to blood diamonds, we are seeing the plundering of the earth and its people in an unsustainable way."
