Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

These post-European Council statements relate to the meeting on 18 December but, along with the Taoiseach, I wish to express my condolences to all those killed and injured in the recent attacks in Paris as well as in Pakistan and Ukraine. I hope that at the next Council meeting the Taoiseach will inform President Hollande of the condolences and the messages of sympathy of all parties in this House.

As my colleague, Deputy Adams, has outlined, the election in Greece on Sunday was historic and it is fitting that we formally congratulate Syriza on its victory. The message coming from these benches is that the Government needs to seriously reconsider its position on the merits of a debt conference and the call for such a conference. The Syriza victory also came in the face of EU opposition and the unprecedented interference of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker into this domestic election. For many, the Syriza win was a victory for hope - something the current EU system is still not offering the majority of citizens of member states.

Last month the European Council also discussed the need to fight tax avoidance and aggressive tax planning. Was Ireland’s tax regime discussed? Will the Minister of State, Deputy Dara Murphy, respond to that question? Was there any discussion about whether Apple's specific tax arrangements with Ireland are legal? Just before the European Council, the new EU Competition Commissioner said there is reasonable doubt about whether Apple's tax arrangements with Ireland are legal and that the investigation into the case remained open and this is despite the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan's remarks in November that he expected the case to be dropped.

Ireland is not alone in regard to specific tax arrangements. The Netherlands and Luxembourg are also facing investigations into how their tax arrangements with global multinationals may have been a form of illegal state aid. Ironically, the Luxembourg scandal directly involves the current European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker. It is alleged that Mr. Juncker, when he was Prime Minister of Luxembourg, played a key role in the affair and, in fact, was the architect of Luxembourg's tax avoidance system. Harmful tax practices are now supposedly at the top of the Commission's agenda, but the Commission is being led by one of the alleged prime culprits.

The European Parliament also attempted to launch a full inquiry into sweetheart tax deals with some multinational companies. More than a quarter of MEPs - many in defiance of their own party leaders - called for a thorough probe into alleged state-facilitated tax avoidance across the EU. The large number was sufficient to trigger a formal request for a committee of inquiry. Fine Gael’s four MEPs voted against a European Parliament committee of inquiry into the Luxembourg leaks scandal two weeks ago, which is very disappointing. Mr. Juncker is also a member of the EPP, along with Fine Gael, but what Irish people would really like to know is what Government MEPs fear from such an inquiry. Do the Government MEPs have anything to fear from such a probe into the Irish tax system and supposed sweetheart deals? Why is there no political desire to tackle corporate tax avoidance schemes? With European citizens continuing to face enforced austerity policies, surely it is more important than ever that companies pay their fair and equal share of tax.

The Taoiseach mentioned Ukraine which was also discussed at this European Council meeting. We know that unfortunately the fighting has got worse in eastern Ukraine since the meeting and 30 civilians were reported dead after mortar fire struck the outskirts of Mariupol city last weekend. According to the UN, more than 5,000 people have been killed in fighting since the rebels seized large swathes of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions last April and more than 1 million people have been displaced. It is now being reported that EU Foreign Ministers will hold an extraordinary meeting on Thursday to consider imposing further sanctions on Russia. Can the Minister of State provide any more detail on that? Does Ireland support further sanctions against Russia?

Some 70 years ago today the Auschwitz concentration camp was liberated by the Soviet Red Army and last Sunday was the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day. The genocide carried out was one of the most horrific crimes ever committed in Europe or the World. Unfortunately, we are currently seeing a resurgence of far right groups in Europe and anti-Semitism, including violent attacks, have seen a sharp increase in recent years. We also have seen the growth of many of such political parties across Europe. Does the Minister of State agree that collectively we must unite to eliminate anti-Semitism from society and never forget the horrors that led to the Holocaust and murder of so many millions of innocent people?

With this in mind and in remembering the violent attacks in Paris, I hope that combatting anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and other forms of sectarianism and racism can be discussed at the next European Council meeting. Perhaps the Minister of State will respond to that.

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