Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In regard to the appointment of Mr. Jean-Claude Juncker to his present position, the Taoiseach has stated clearly that he has confidence in him. Would he agree, however, that the Luxembourg papers, which were mainly from PricewaterhouseCoopers, revealed a system of tax evasion on an industrial scale? A huge number of companies, including Pepsi, Ikea, Heinz, JP Morgan, FedEx, Deutsche Bank, Macquarie, Shire, ICAP and Dyson, had arrangements with Luxembourg which were seen to be facilitated by this country. People might say this is legal tax avoidance, but is it not shameful that Mr. Juncker, as Prime Minister of a small state which is approximately the size of County Meath and which was a founder member of the European Union, presided over and managed a massive system of tax avoidance and tax evasion by these multinationals?

The Taoiseach referred to a vote by the European Parliament in which his own grouping, the EPP, as well as the Party of European Socialists, supported the appointment of Mr. Juncker. They also refused to support a vote of censure. Does the Taoiseach not think it is inappropriate for this person to be President of the European Commission, given that almost any pronouncement he might make about tax harmonisation or countries such as Luxembourg, Ireland or the Netherlands will be tinged with hypocrisy? Is it not appropriate that, as my colleague Nessa Childers, MEP, has called for, a special committee of inquiry be established to investigate the role he played as Minister for finance and Prime Minister of Luxembourg over the two decades in question? Would the Taoiseach support the European Parliament in conducting such an inquiry? To the general public, there is no question that Mr. Juncker is totally unsuitable and inappropriate as leader of the European Commission.

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