Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I want to ask about the increase in corporation tax receipts because there is a fear that corporation tax is the stamp duty of this decade. We do not know whether this is the case. The figures suggest to me that the unexpected increase of 50% in corporation tax in 2015 was caused by Apple moving its intellectual property onshore. A few other bits and pieces may have contributed, but the increase can basically be attributed to Apple bringing its intellectual property to Ireland and therefore paying more tax. Those figures more or less work. My question relates to the transience of the current position. I appreciate that this is hypothetical, but I suggest it is probably more relevant in the context of a more protectionist United States under the incoming US Administration.

In 2015, corporation tax receipts unexpectedly increased by approximately 50%, which was huge. I think approximately €3.5 billion in unexpected revenues were received. This money on its own basically allowed budgets to continue. If that had not happened, we would have had a very different last 24 months in the Dáil. Those revenues have been put in the book as steady-state continuous revenues. If Apple were to decide tomorrow to redomicile its intellectual property to Delaware, our revenue would fall in a day. My question is not really about Apple. I have mentioned it as an example of a company where there has been a sizeable shift. Given that these receipts have been steady for the past year and half since the unexpected 50% increase, is the council concerned that they could decrease again just as quickly?