Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses and thank them for all the work they do in Revenue and the Department. I am glad to have the opportunity to make a few points. I apologise if I am sometimes abrupt but that is the nature of the beast in here. The delivery can be a bit adversarial but it is not personal.

I often think that when it comes to dealing with matters relating to Revenue and taxation we should have a glossary of terms defined in the Peter and Jane Ladybird version because the complexion or perception of 'company X paid no tax' is often wrong and naturally any of us paying pay as you earn, PAYE, can be very frustrated to think that such profitable companies are theoretically paying no tax. Double taxation means nothing to the person in the street. Am I right in saying double taxation means not that no tax was paid but that it was paid in the country where the profits were domiciled but the company was not eligible to pay it here for that reason? Is that a fair assessment?