Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We know that some of these large profitable companies will organise their tax affairs in a way to limit their tax liability. In 2017, after parliamentary questions and campaigning by Christian Aid, the Minister called out aggressive tax planning and closed it down as a result of the agreement. The problem is that while the agreement appears to be working in terms of what is in it, it is narrowly defined and therefore there is this cat and mouse game. They have found a way around it. There is a complex arrangement in terms of the acquisition of Alere into three incorporated companies here but tax resident in Malta and so on. The money goes around in a carousel and no tax is paid and now there is a situation where there is a dodge of €477 million that is avoiding being taxed. When this comes to light, and surely Revenue has seen this because there are only four Irish companies that have been incorporated in Malta since that period and these are the four companies in question, surely there must be knowledge. What I want to know from the Minister is how come we are not shutting this down? I can understand the cat and mouse game that goes on but once we become aware we need to shut it down. Can the Minister please reassure us that this will come to an end? I know the Minister cannot mention companies and he is restricted in that regard but we need reassurance that this is going to stop.

See this speech in context