Kieran O'Donnell (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to take him up on his use of the term "tax pirates". I take major issue with it and I do not agree with it. The definition of a tax pirate is someone who is roaming effectively on the open seas. Our multinational sector is contributing more than 250,000 jobs in Ireland and many of them are people we represent. They are giving valuable jobs to families and contributing approximately 50% of our POE base and approximately 50% of our corporation tax base. Changes have been made. The double Irish is gone. We are looking at BEPS. My concern is that if the CCCTB came in, it would be a case of tax piracy by the larger countries such as France and Germany. Reference has been made to looking after small nations. One of the reasons we have such a large multinational sector here, which is providing such a large number of jobs, is that we have had a 10% manufacturing rate for years. This is not something new that we have dreamt up. Our industrial base is based on the country being English speaking. On our western border, we are the nearest point to America and we have a long-term association with that country. Our 12.5% rate, as well as our previous 10% rate, is utterly transparent. Our effective rate is more or less the same. Mr. Lamassoure will appreciate that in France while the rate might be higher, individual arrangements are arrived at with individual companies and that does not happen in Ireland.