Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Barry is correct that there is a change of circumstances with what is happening with the United Kingdom leaving the European Union. I make two points on the Deputy's analysis. The first is that, with the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, it does not change the fact that other countries are still eager to maximise the amount of international jobs and investment they could have. Indeed, the United Kingdom may make decisions in the future regarding what is the rate of corporate tax that it wants to charge in its jurisdiction. For all of those reasons, it is as important as ever that we have a stable corporate tax rate. By stable, I not only mean it not going up but that it is equally important to indicate that we are not planning to reduce it either. Ireland will not be part of any race to the bottom in corporate tax rates. This is a competitive world for the jobs and investment that are important to our country and the point that Deputy Barry has made does not take away from that.

On the Deputy's second point regarding the reason international companies are located here, the Deputy referred to us being an English-speaking country within the European Union. It is far broader than that. It is the quality of our education. It is the quality of our public services. It is the general tone and attitude that we have here towards companies being located here and a recognition of their value and the jobs that they provide. It is far bigger than that we are an English-speaking country but the reason Deputy Barry does not want to recognise that is it points to a quality of public services, a quality of education and qualities about our country that do not fit in with the narrative that Deputies such as Deputy Barry have about our country. There are many reasons that investment is here. The quality of our education, the quality of our public services and a recognition of the value of investment in our country are easily as important as the fact that we are an English-speaking country.

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