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Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (25 Jan 2018)

Gerry Horkan: The committee is resumed in public session. Item No. 8 is EU scrutiny for the public record. Before we proceed with the business listed, I wish to record the decision taken by the committee on EU legislative proposals. The committee agreed that COM (2017) 827 warrants further scrutiny. The committee also agreed that COM (2017) 593, COM (2017) 659, COM (2017) 666, COM (2017) 706, COM...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base: Discussion (25 Jan 2018)

Gerry Horkan: Item No. 5 is consideration of the draft report on the proposal for a Council directive on a common consolidated corporate tax base, CCCTB, with Mr. Alain Lamassoure, MEP, and item No. 2, consideration of the draft report on proposals for a Council directive on a common corporate tax base, CCTB, with Mr. Paul Tang, MEP. They are both very welcome to the meeting. Before we begin, I am...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base: Discussion (25 Jan 2018)

Gerry Horkan: It is better than most of our French though.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base: Discussion (25 Jan 2018)

Gerry Horkan: I thank Mr. Lamassoure. Senator O'Donnell will speak first. When he was in Brussels in October, he met the committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base: Discussion (25 Jan 2018)

Gerry Horkan: I will allow the Senator speak but the meeting must conclude by noon. I want to let other members in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base: Discussion (25 Jan 2018)

Gerry Horkan: That would not be the first time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base: Discussion (25 Jan 2018)

Gerry Horkan: For the benefit of the committee, it is important to point out that the reasoned opinion that we gave as a committee was on the draft proposal, which did suggest that there would only be one tax rate.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base: Discussion (25 Jan 2018)

Gerry Horkan: All we could do was produce a reasoned opinion on the proposal at the time. I accept that the draft proposal was a draft proposal, and could be amended or changed or altered as a result of other actors. However, I think the point that Senator Conway-Walsh is trying to make is that we have three different rates. We have a main headline rate but we also have a capital gains tax rate and a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base: Discussion (25 Jan 2018)

Gerry Horkan: We did include that in our reasoned opinion.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base: Discussion (25 Jan 2018)

Gerry Horkan: How many Irish MEPs are on the particular committees? Mr. Lamassoure is saying the Irish MEPs are not participating in the discussion.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base: Discussion (25 Jan 2018)

Gerry Horkan: And there are Irish MEPs on that group?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base: Discussion (25 Jan 2018)

Gerry Horkan: Even though our reasoned opinion, which was not just produced by this committee but adopted by both Houses before it went off to-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base: Discussion (25 Jan 2018)

Gerry Horkan: Both Houses adopted it and Mr. Lamassoure is saying that our civil servants are not-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base: Discussion (25 Jan 2018)

Gerry Horkan: That is revealing because I do not think we were aware. Mr. Lamassoure is telling us this morning that the Minister of State, Deputy D'Arcy, said to him that the civil servants are silent because the Taoiseach had said that he did not want the civil servants raising the points.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base: Discussion (25 Jan 2018)

Gerry Horkan: I will let members back in again if there is time to do so.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base: Discussion (25 Jan 2018)

Gerry Horkan: I must conclude on this point as I need to bring in Deputies Burton and Paul Murphy and I am conscious, particularly for those who have just joined us, that we have to conclude proceedings by midday. I apologise and call Deputy Paul Murphy, who I ask to be as brief as possible.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base: Discussion (25 Jan 2018)

Gerry Horkan: While I am reluctant to conclude the debate and am enjoying Deputy Burton's contribution, the committee was due to finish at 12 noon and it is now 12.15 p.m. There will be an opportunity after------

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base: Discussion (25 Jan 2018)

Gerry Horkan: Deputy Burton has made that point very well. We will now conclude. There will be an opportunity afterwards for further discussion. It is very clear from the committee that Ireland has significant concerns about these proposals. The witnesses may need to refresh themselves in regard to our reasoned opinion because I am sure they have been bombarded with data from all 27 member states,...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jan 2018)

Gerry Horkan: There has been a lot of discussion about people buying their first homes and whether they can get help from their parents. I am sure that many people have done that and that many people are not in a position to. Perhaps the Leader might arrange some kind of a debate with the Minister with regard to people who have not been able to save because they have been spending so much on rent. The...

Seanad: Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture: Statements (24 Jan 2018)

Gerry Horkan: I am not sure if anyone else has mentioned the fact that this is the first time that the Minister has appeared here since her elevation to Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. The Minister and I were both county councillors in the same area not that long ago. It is great to see another Stillorgan person doing well. I congratulate her on her appointment and I know all Senators...