Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I will quote from the speech this morning of the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan. He stated: "We should not see ourselves through the eyes of our detractors - those who would paint a cartoonish and negative image of Ireland." I have repeatedly stated in this House that I object to Ireland being referred to as one big homogeneous and happy family; we are not. There are very many competing interests in this country that indicate a different kind of Ireland for many different people. The previous speaker and others throughout the day spoke about how we must "look after our own" and how people are going after this country, but they should think about the language being used. They do not speak for me or my constituency and they are certainly not speaking for tens of thousands of people in this country who have been impoverished, made homeless, had their pay slashed, are lying on trolleys tonight or who will have to suffer all the consequences of austerity, inequality and division in this country. Others say we are all in this together but we are not. This ruling and the Government's reaction to it demonstrates precisely how and why we are not in this together.

One can go out today and ask any man or woman on the street if they think it is a good idea that the Irish State - the people of Ireland - should take what is owed to them in taxes, which is at least €13 billion and possibly €19 billion when one adds the interest. We can think about what may be owed to us in taxes this year, next year and the following year by corporations paying one of the lowest rates of corporation tax in Europe. This is about having paid zilch in taxes for years under a sweetheart deal made with none other than "Mr. Charvet shirts", Charlie Haughey, in the bad old days. What happened in the bad old days was perpetuated and maintained by the current and previous Governments. Everybody turned a blind eye to it and everybody says that was because of jobs.

I will give some figures relating to jobs. A sum of €1 billion would create 10,000 jobs on a decent wage, allowing for €100,000 per job. That allows for what the employer and worker must pay. Imagine the number of nurses, teachers, physiotherapists and any amount of people helping with speech therapy, social issues and working with Travellers or special education. Imagine the social good that could do, and it is just €1 billion. With the €13 billion owed by Apple and not minding the interest, 89,000 houses could be built. There is much use for this money in a country with dire need. There is a very right-wing policy choice being made to defend Apple on the premise of lies, lies and lies that we are looking after jobs. The Government is not doing so. It is looking after the rich at the expense of everybody else.

In case people have not noticed, this is not just particular to Ireland. The recent Panama papers indicated there are €23 trillion dollars currently invested offshore without a single penny being paid in tax. That is why 20% of the world will go to bed hungry tonight and more than 30% of children in the world do not have access to clean water or proper medication for very basic illnesses. If one thinks Ireland is not contributing to this, one should think again. We are leading the way by defending Apple in this case, perpetuating a world of gross and disgusting inequality.

Did the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, and the Taoiseach have many meetings with representatives of the vulture funds to inform them of the section 110 benefits, whereby they could make gains by not paying tax in this country? That would attract them to invest here. There were at least eight meetings attended by the Minister, Deputy Noonan, with 60-odd involving the Department of Finance. Were those funds advised to come to the country in order to take advantage of the section 110 measures, and if not, why not? If there was no such advice but the funds took advantage of section 110, how was that not noticed? The magnanimous act by the Government to cancel the section 110 loophole is really a case of trying to quickly cover a mistake while perpetuating other mistakes. They are lying in saying they are not constantly, with every ounce of energy, inviting multinationals and global corporations on a free holiday in this country. It goes on all the time. The question of the meetings involving the Minister, Deputy Noonan, the Taoiseach and the vulture funds to invite them to take advantage of section 110 must be queried.

We must ask many questions about it. It indicates that this is not a question of poor old Ireland being attacked by the European Union, EU. The EU is really bullying the people but when it comes to bullying the rich, the Government does not take it. It let the EU bully us about water charges and austerity but it will not take it when the EU is trying to bully the rich. That is really what is going on.

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