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

I am sure that is a matter the House can consider but I respectfully differ with the Deputy in terms of his acknowledging the commentary and analysis my Department and I have had on corporate tax revenue but then making a suggestion or inference that we have not done anything to manage that risk in recent years. The point I would make is that if we look at where we have been since 2019, even though corporate tax revenue has gone up significantly in that period, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, and I have not altered our core spending plans in that period. It is the main reason, as we face into this budget, that we are in position whereby the increased corporate tax receipts collected have fed into our higher budget surplus rather than being used to fund a change in spending plans during the year. That is a very significant and important development in looking at how we can manage that risk. If I were in a position whereby corporate tax receipts had significantly increased and that increase was used to fund changes in core spending plans, I would be facing very legitimate and significant criticism on such a policy change.

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