Katherine Zappone (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I support the call made by Senator Mac Conghail for the Seanad to act in the case of Margaretta D'Arcy. The day after Ms D'Arcy was imprisoned I sought legal advice on the matter. I understand it is within the gift of the Minister for Justice and Equality to issue a temporary release order, although he has stated that it is up to Ms D'Arcy to sign the bond. I wrote to him asking him to consider ordering her temporary release as he has the power to do so.

I have a question for the Leader on financial matters. When the Seanad returned last month I raised the issue of tax avoidance by corporations. I call for a debate with the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, on international taxation strategy and Ireland's development policy. These issues should be examined side by side. Who better to debate these issues with the House than the Tánaiste, who is a member of the Economic Management Council and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade? The Department of Finance issued a document recently entitled, Ireland's International Taxation Strategy, in which it argued that we should adopt a whole-of-government and coherent approach to the two policy arenas of taxation strategy and development policy. This means supporting taxation strategies that do not result in a reduction in taxation benefits that countries in the developing world would enjoy if multinational corporations were not avoiding some of the taxation implications of their presence in those countries. An Irish Aid document published recently under the title, One World, One Future, also argues that we should take a coherent approach to international taxation and aid policy. I ask the Leader to invite the Tánaiste to the House to debate these issues.