Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will start by recognising the great work done by the witnesses. It has been my privilege to do a bit of work tangentially with the One Foundation and Ashoka. I am aware of Ms Casey's work with the Kanchi Foundation in changing mindsets about disabilities. We are all aware of the fantastic work done by the Ireland Funds.

We have gone into the detail on the trade-offs involved. I agree with many of the sentiments expressed by Deputy Kevin Humphreys, but I wanted to recognise that the witnesses are people who have dedicated themselves to making this country a better place. They could earn more money and do more with it working in the private sector.

I will not go over the downside of this proposal, as we all know that it potentially legitimises tax avoidance to some degree. However, it is a straight trade. We are selling people more days in Ireland. I would prefer the US system, under which no one cares what is paid abroad as long as the difference is paid in the US. This would get rid of the problem and bring money back to Ireland quickly. For example, if someone who used to live in New York now works in Saudi Arabia, he or she would pay 40% of his or her income to New York state and the federal system and nothing in Saudi Arabia. However, this system is probably a little radical for Ireland right now.