Professor John McHale:

It may be more true in the United States because of the nature of the political system, but sometimes changes that seem almost impossible for a long time occur all of a sudden. I certainly would not rule out a change. There could be a measure such as a tax amnesty allowing companies to repatriate their profits at a much lower rate than at the statutory rate of 35%. Other longer-term changes to the way non-repatriated profits are treated could have a substantial impact on the attractiveness of Ireland as a destination, and it could affect the companies’ tax management strategies.

That is a risk among other risks. It is another reason we need to be very careful.