Shane Ross (Independent)

I add my voice in 100% support of the point raised by Deputy Ryan. The idea that The Irish Catholic should not be allowed to advertise is absolutely appalling. I say this as a member of the Church of Ireland. Were it the case that the Church of Ireland was forbidden under the same rule there would be screams of sectarianism towards the minority here, rightly so. We should urge RTÉ to get its act together. It has a very strange advertising code which also prohibits gambling, which it openly breaks and admits to breaking. The message should go out that we do not think there is any need for this kind of self-conscious anti-religious stance on the part of RTÉ and that it can happily go ahead and promote pluralism and all religions if advertising comes its way.

This worries me slightly because I have to agree with Senator Ryan for a second time, but it is important to have a debate on the Convention on the Future of Europe because of the threat presented by the French and the Germans to our corporation tax rate. The issue of tax harmonisation has been raised. There is a German and French plan to introduce tax harmonisation which would present a serious threat to the revival of the economy. It would be useful – I ask the Leader to devise a mechanism – to send out an all-party message from this House that we are not prepared to make any concession on the 12.5% corporation tax rate regardless of what the French, the Germans and others want us to do, that this is something to which we will adhere.