John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Whip's office for allowing me a few minutes to speak on this issue. I agree with Deputy Troy about the importance of confidence. It is unfortunate from his point of view that the issues being referred to in terms of the guidelines issued by the Revenue Commissioners concern a timeframe during which Fianna Fáil was in office. Indeed, it is also interesting that Apple's operations in Ireland are mostly concentrated in the Cork constituency, which presents a number of issues for the leader of Deputy Troy's party.

I agree with many of the points he made. I want to refer to the number of contradictory elements contained in the ruling by the European Commission. In respect of the idea presented in this ruling that Ireland is effectively to be the tax collector for the European Union and indeed the US, if the figure of €13 billion is to be believed, it would mean that 60% of Apple's operations in the years being inquired into were carried out in Ireland. Everybody inside and outside this House knows that this is patently not the case. It is remarkable that so many people who have spoken in opposition to this motion have the €13 billion already earmarked and nearly spent. Even if the Government's appeal did not work, the fraction of the €13 billion that might end up in Irish coffers would be small.

The real issue here is that there are many within the European Union who covet Ireland's position in terms of attracting foreign direct investment and who believe that they want to use any mechanism available to them to ensure that our corporation tax rates are higher. We must resist this at all costs. There are few levers that are available to a small, open and peripheral country such as ours and this is one we have used to great effect over many years. It is a matter of tax sovereignty.

My last points relate to Sinn Féin. I usually do not make many partisan points in this Chamber but I looked at a contribution made in 2001 from Deputy Pearse Doherty, a fine Member who makes many good contributions, when he spoke about taxation matters and the role of the European Union. It is rank hypocrisy for every Sinn Féin Member to come in here today and take a position exactly opposite to the one they held then and have espoused in every European referendum in my lifetime. The Deputy spoke about how it is not an attack on small states, how people were scaremongering about jobs, how it is not a threat to our corporation tax rate and how this is our money. This money does not exist and the Government has no option and is perfectly correct to defend the role of the Revenue Commissioners in ensuring that our taxation system is protected.

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