Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council representatives. Anybody looking at this committee would be somewhat baffled by some of the discussion. Would it be a fair summary of the witnesses' comments, particularly in light of the EU ruling on Apple - I certainly agree with them - that the tax dodging activities of multinationals have now significantly distorted the real picture of the Irish economy to the point that the well-being of the economy is exaggerated significantly and that if we were to strip out all of that, the economic position would be far less rosy? Would it also be fair to say that it is imprudent, to use the witnesses' word, to rely on this stuff for any expenditure plans the Government may have? The council is saying that in so far as the Government has expenditure plans, they are on the outer limit of leaning on what may be a very unreliable source of income. I get that, but perhaps the witnesses could confirm that is what they are saying. Is it fair to say that, against that background, there would be nothing imprudent at all about spending the €13 billion that the EU believes is money in the bank already, money Ireland should have received in tax? It is not about the volatility of future corporate tax receipts linked to the tax dodging activities of a small group of multinationals.

The money they have said is owed is money in the bank so it would be perfectly prudent to spend that money. I speak in fiscal terms and with a view to maintaining a sensible fiscal stance.