The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has said tax loopholes that allow people to escape paying tax will be closed by the Government in next year's Budget.
Speaking this morning, the Taoiseach said "the game is up" for those who don't pay any income tax and added that the Government couldn't allow people to use tax relief to avoid paying any contribution to society.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern
The Taoiseach repeated the Minister Cowen's assertion in his Budget delivery yesterday that tax shelters would be examined closely over the next year, Mr Cowen said "unlimited or unrestricted reliefs" are "no longer viable or acceptable".
The Taoiseach told RTÉ's Morning Irelandthe Government would first have to study the economic consequences of capping or removing such reliefs.
Mr Ahern claimed his form of socialism was geared towards maintaining strong economic growth, not destroying it.
"I am a left winger, my form of socialism, the reason I say I'm the only one is because the other socialists would wreck the economy," he said.
"They like high taxes, to wreck business and they like to go after business as if there's something evil about them.
"I like wealth creators, I like people who create wealth and I like people who then pay their taxes on that wealth because that allows me to help the people who need their help."