Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Is there a danger that we might create a self-fulfilling prophecy, since this issue has preoccupied our thinking for some years? Various people around the globe have spoken as if they had intimate knowledge of the damage Irish corporation tax was doing to the international economy in the last century. It was found at the peak of the economic crash that a number of other countries had incentives in place in their economies that were even more favourable than those provided here, but nothing was said about it at that stage. I know changes have been made since. However, is there a grave danger that we could create a problem through our continuous preoccupation with what is seen to be the necessity to increase corporation tax, which incidentally is a tax on employment? It will affect the workforces in various countries. Incidentally, a number of Irish investors have invested overseas. How are they likely to be affected in the event of there being major changes here?