Peter Mathews (Dublin South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Boyd Barrett asked why there is only a 6.8% effective rate of taxation on €70 billion of corporate profits, mainly multinational corporation profits. Many of the chief executive officers of these companies are my age contemporaries and I was in schools and college with them. When I have asked them how they would feel if a three year national recovery levy of 3% were imposed on their companies’ reported profits, they have said they would neither up stumps and close down nor be afraid to make further investments in Ireland. Such a levy on their surged profits since 2008 is very sustainable. It is a great pity the Department of Finance and the Government has not asked them for this. It is the same way there has not been a persuasive request for debt write-down in the euro system for the banks’ collapse and socialisation of their losses.

Three percent of €70 billion is €2.2 billion, or an awful lot of medical cards and repairs to the water system before water is metered and charged. It is disgraceful that our Government-----