Mr. Pádraig Dalton:

We do not have a problem with the multinational companies now. They are actually very good. That is because we have a very good relationship with them. That is based on the current environment in which we operate. I do not believe penalties provide the answer. The information we get from these companies is highly sensitive at an individual level. I do not believe any level of penalty we might consider here would mitigate their concerns or potential concerns.

It is not definite, indeed it is highly unlikely, that there would be a breach of confidentiality. However, we are responsible for compiling robust economic statistics on behalf of the Government and the people. If we see a major risk to our ability to do that, it is our responsibility to highlight that risk. That risk is much higher for Ireland than for any other EU member state because of the concentration of a very small number of multinationals and the impact on our economic and business statistics.