Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I regret to hear breaking news from Europe that the digital tax proposal seems to have fallen through at the Council meeting today, which the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, is attending. I regret it because I think the revenue we could raise from the proposal could be used to fund Irish media. Google and Facebook are taking all the advertising revenue. The Irish media are in crisis. I also regret the risk to our reputation in being seen as a country that harbours such low-tax companies.

Will the Taoiseach outline the Government's position from here, given that the proposal seems to have fallen foul of the Council? Are we opposed in principle to the idea of a digital tax? The Minister, Deputy Donohoe, says this should be done through the OECD. How does the Government intend doing so now? How do we restore our reputation and introduce such a tax, if that is ultimately the Government's position?

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