Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)

Why are we so unwilling to take on big businesses when we have no difficulty cutting disability payments or abolishing the Christmas bonus? Prior to this debate I believe I was the only Member of the previous Dáil, despite my short term in the House at the time, who questioned our corporate tax rate.

It appears that maintaining our corporate tax rate is the answer to all our woes and difficulties and that to increase it would be "economic suicide". It is ironic that one answer to our difficulties, namely, maintaining our natural resources for the good of the country, is not receiving the same consideration. I am concerned that our corporate tax has led to our country being a tax haven for foreign national companies to avoid paying just tax in their own countries, a sentiment expressed by President Obama when campaigning in 2008. He regularly questioned and criticised our tax friendly treatment of American corporations saying it caused many jobs to be lost in America's struggling mid-west. Are we willing to be complicit in allowing and facilitating giant corporations not pay their just taxes?

If an article in last Friday's The Irish Times is to be believed, there are companies who are paying hardly anything, either here where they have a base or in their country of origin. We are making a big deal out of retaining the rate at 12.5% when in actual fact it is considerably lower as the 12.5% is not being collected in some cases. Would a 1% or 2% increase mean an additional €600 million to us? Where is the hard evidence that a higher rate would make Ireland uncompetitive and drive multinationals away? These companies - I disagree on this point with the previous speaker - are profitable and will not leave Ireland given the availability here of highly trained graduates and a young English speaking workforce known for its creativity and hard work. Also, we are geographically and geologically stable. I believe we are undervaluing ourselves. There is an issue with regard to what exactly is being paid in other European countries because of the allowances and subsidies which vary so-called high tax rates in such countries as Germany, the United Kingdom and France and which are several percentage points lower. At least, can we ensure that 12.5% is collected? Can we have a balanced look at the advantages of increasing it? Can we ensure that multinationals pay their just taxes?

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