Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I am sorry to inform Deputy Burton that the material I read is material from my Department. I never lectured in the law of citizenship. The material before me was prepared by the Department of Finance so there is no need to personalise this issue in respect of my past occupation. My current occupation is a Deputy and Minister for Finance. I am well aware of joblessness in this country but I do not believe in giving people false hopes and expectations about the reality of what tax can and cannot be collected in this country. According to my Department, the international arrangement is that if one does not live in this country, one does not pay income tax on overseas income. If Deputy Burton has evidence of individuals acting in breach of this law she is free to submit it to the Revenue Commissioners and do some public good. I do not accept that I am indifferent to the fate of the unemployed or the need for a fair taxation system.

This debate is important. The Commission on Taxation is examining the issue and if anything can be done to further secure matters, it will be done. We are working with the EU and the OECD in addressing the concerns of unfair international tax competition. The existence of tax havens, where persons can purchase a particular advantage, is one of the difficulties. One cannot devise a local solution to this problem. Deputy Burton can table amendments year after year but no amendment she has produced to date has been workable in terms of international obligations. The only solution to this issue is an international one, where the legitimate tax paying countries have a mutual arrangement to ensure that persons pay income tax. The idea that there is a wand to be waved to find the crock of gold is illusory.

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