Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

He has already responded to a question asked by Deputy Michael McGrath about the ESRI economic outlook that was published yesterday. As the ESRI publication draws on the 2011 proposal, we are not comparing the same things. We will stick with table 39, if Mr. Hession does not mind, because it is based on the Commission's assessment of the current proposal. It suggests that if this proposal goes through, Ireland's corporate tax receipts will decrease by 0.14% of GDP but there will be increases in receipts from labour taxes, consumption taxes and taxes on bonds, dividends and capital gains. It states that our overall tax revenue, which is really what we are interested in, would increase marginally by 0.02% of GDP. The Commission's view, therefore, is that the effect of this proposal on our tax receipts would basically be neutral. It would lead to marginal reduction of the overall tax revenues of states across Europe. Does the Department agree with the figures that have been presented by the Commission? Does it agree that this proposal, as identified by the European Commission's joint research centre, would broadly be tax-neutral if it were to be introduced in this State because there would be a reduction of 0.14% of GDP in corporate tax receipts but that would be offset by other taxes?