Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am interested in also hearing Dr. Collins's views on tax gap analysis. He mentioned the hidden role of the State and using the taxation system to encourage and support certain activities among individuals and corporations via tax expenditures, an issue I am interested in. Anybody who has studied economics will have heard of the invisible hand of the market, but it is often mentioned to the exclusion of the hidden hand of the State. The State, through the taxation system, can be used to modify taxpayer behaviour, while corporate taxation can be used to modify corporate behaviour. I am interested in the investor court system that is part of CETA. In the opinion of many people, those kinds of courts can have a chilling effect on legislatures. What are Dr. Collins's views on the imposition of such a court system? Will it negatively impact on the State's ability to use the taxation system to modify corporate behaviour?