Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

Whatever the justification for the tonnage tax system being manifestly exploited in the case of the yacht that is parked in the middle of the Mediterranean, staffed with non-Irish people, disporting itself in the Mediterranean for the rich and powerful, earning an income of €9 million per year and paying no tax virtually to this Exchequer, in the case of Irish Ferries would one not reasonably expect that if there is an argument for the tonnage tax system to continue to exist that at least that company ought to be expected not to be in engaged in shedding Irish workers, deliberately recruiting non-nationals and, as we know from some high profile cases, employing non-nationals at slave rates?

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