Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do believe damage has been done to our reputation. There is one way to ensure our reputation is restored. We can be more proactive in supporting and adhering to the public country by country reporting and committing to the highest level of transparency. We should ensure that companies are made to conduct their tax business in a more just and open way. That is the way to disprove and challenge the Oxfam report.

Our development aid programme is one of the world's best. It is acknowledged that human rights are at the heart of our foreign affairs policy so they should be at the heart of our domestic policy also. Joseph Wresinksi, founder of All Together in Dignity, said "extreme poverty does not have to exist. Human beings create it and they are the ones who can put an end to it." The Taoiseach mentioned the meeting in January but I want to talk about the other high level meeting that I think was part of his commitment. We have nothing to fear. Let us read the Oxfam report and let Oxfam and the other NGOs come in and have a real debate on tax justice and the implications of tax policies for Ireland and other countries.

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