Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I was going to make a very similar point. It has not just been picked out of thin air. The request came on foot of a chapter in the Comptroller and Auditor General's report and its purpose was to better understand the interaction. It means we have to assume things because we do not have available information that we can draw from through engagement with the companies. It means our assumptions may or may not be right. It is actually quite useful for us to know what their engagement is like with Revenue. There could have been other things we could have found out that would give a better public understanding, as well as a better understanding for the committee of how this works. The fact the sustainability of corporate taxes has been highlighted is important for us because understanding what exactly is going on might inform future policy.

That may or may not be to the advantage of some multinationals in the future so it is disappointing.