Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)
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One is legal and the other is illegal. We are talking here about tax avoidance. Deputy Murphy's proposal was agreed by this committee in private session. It is regrettable that we are back discussing it in public session. It was very clearly agreed - this is laid out in Deputy Murphy's amendment - that this would be a multi-phase piece of work. We agreed that the first thing we would do is understand exactly how the system works. We said we would listen to independent parties that would be able to lay out for the sub-committee and therefore for the joint committee the mechanics of the different types of international laws in Ireland and abroad that are potentially being used for tax avoidance. We agreed that after we had completed this phase of our work and compiled a report on it, and ensuring the full joint committee and potentially the Oireachtas had been given time to digest the report, we would move into the next phase of the process, during which the multinational corporations as a group would be brought in. For me, there is no question of trying to avoid bringing multinational corporations before this committee or before the sub-committee. I think Deputy Murphy's proposal sets out the most sensible way to proceed. The process he has proposed for meeting the multinational corporations is the process that would best equip us to engage with them. I would like to support the amendment tabled by the Deputy.