Mr. Martin Fraser:

I have mentioned the National Economic and Social Council as an example of another group that I chair. I chair it because it is my job to do so. The council meets every month for two or three hours and Mr. Shaw is the deputy chair. Between us, we go to every meeting. There is a wide variety of people at every meeting and it has done a lot of work. Its most recent report which relates to the people who have suffered most in our society as a result of the economic crash was published a week or two ago. It is a very interesting report on the vulnerable people in society who have suffered the most. The council makes a useful contribution. Much of the work it did last year related to human services, disability, end-of-life care, home care for older people and residential care, etc. It does a great deal of work and we are involved in all kinds of things. As I said to Deputy Joe Higgins, we have tried to place an emphasis on fairness and social policy. The country is about more than money - it is about people and services. It is about looking after people.

I cannot add to what the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and other members of the Government have said about the current controversy. This is not a tax haven. There is transparency. We have a statute-based tax system and have international agreements with approximately 60 countries. We do not accept the criticism made. Members of the committee are wise enough to know that all kinds of things are going wrong internationally and many people are looking after themselves and we are caught in the crossfire. As the Taoiseach said, this is not a tax haven.