Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this particularly important legislation. I just want to make a few comments on the opinions expressed by the previous speaker in respect of a report that was published recently by Oxfam. The Deputy did not quote the whole conclusion. The conclusion was the same as it was nearly 50 years ago to the effect that 80% of the wealth was owned by 10% of the population. It then went on to say that 80% of the taxation was paid by 10% of the population. The Deputy left that bit out and I do not know why that happened.

In the company of a certain gentleman who was a millionaire or billionaire Oxfam was involved a few years ago in travelling around the globe explaining to the people of the world how Ireland was a tax haven and how it had to be addressed as a matter of some urgency-----

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