Mr. Matt Carthy:

I am sorry if I was ever ambiguous about my way of dealing with taxation matters but they should be decided at a national level. It is a fundamental right of people to elect a Government to make such decisions. With monetary and fiscal policy, we have given away too much power and that has limited our ability to enact progressive change in this country. The problem with a common corporate tax system across the EU is that the ink would not be dry before the next proposal would come in on income and other tax regimes. The argument would be fundamentally undermined as parties in countries like Ireland would have acceded to the principle that there would be taxation on an EU level. We are not opposed to unitary taxation regimes. For example, we believe the corporation tax regime should be on a global scale. In the EU, companies are manipulating individual states. If there is an EU-only CCCTB type of system, we would be further offshoring the practice as companies would move their base to other parts of the world, as they have done on many levels.

To be clear, I want corporations to pay their fair share of tax. I do not get bogged down on issues of flat rate or the issue of the 12.5% rate. I am happy with the 12.5% rate for corporation tax as long as corporations pay it, which they are not. We need to be much more vocal about that and put measures in place in that respect. I agree entirely that the Government's position on public country by country reporting is an absolute scandal and cannot be equated to anything relating to tax sovereignty. It is about tax transparency, which is a completely different matter.

The Deputy asked if we are trying to appease corporations or whatever. We will be a safe pair of hands in government with the economy. We will shift the focus away from solely depending on foreign direct investment and we will put in place the type of supports that indigenous sectors need, as well as supports for local businesses and other models, including co-operative processes, in order to develop and thrive. We will not on day one try to drive out foreign direct investment that we have as it plays a pivotal role in many parts of the economy. Many workers and people who support my party and the Deputy's party work for those companies. If corporations, wherever they are based, are willing to come to Ireland and provide well-paid employment while paying their corporation tax, Sinn Féin will be a safe pair of hands for them. It does not undermine my left-wing credibility if I say we want a thriving economy. We need that in order to collect taxes to pay for services and infrastructure we want to see implemented in this country.