David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I do not seek to interfere with any company's accountancy arrangements. The Minister's response, that this could be a threat to foreign investment and big multiples, was similar to his response on this in the Dáil and Senator Darragh O'Brien touched on this area. I do not buy this as it favours secrecy over openness and transparency, which is what the Minister argued this Bill stood for. This is a matter of competition and consumer protection so surely it is in the consumer's interests to know how much profit a company like Tesco makes in Ireland compared to the UK. This will allow consumers to see retailers' profit margins. To suggest this might adversely affect foreign direct investment buys into the general notion that no questions can be asked of multinational companies. The same debate goes on around whether multinationals pay full corporation tax and a similar controversy applied to Apple. It seems we cannot ask any questions when it comes to foreign direct investment and we cannot get information. Irish people shop with such multinationals and they make their profits through our spending so I do not understand the logic of the Minister's response. I will press my amendment to a vote.