Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have just asked the officials about the nature of the representations and I understand they were mostly from foreign-based institutions doing business here. They argued that they did not cause the crisis or the problem and that they should not, therefore, be stung by the levy.

As to Deputy Doherty's second question on whether an argument has been made to the Department that institutions might withdraw from the country, based on the imposition of this levy, the answer is "No". Such a threat or implied threat has not been brought to our attention