Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ireland's reputation as a country that facilitated - yes, I use the dreaded words - tax avoidance on a grand scale over successive decades was brought back to the fore in recent days with the publication of a report by Oxfam. We have to get real on this. The poverty rates and inequality we have allowed to develop in our society can never be addressed as long as we continue to allow these companies to avoid tax on such a grand scale. The Government, through the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, has totally rejected these findings, of course, as has the Department of Finance itself. They have stated that we, as a country, did not meet any of the international standards to be considered a tax haven and that our corporation tax rate and incentives do not make our country a haven. This is fine, of course. We would expect nothing else. However, it does not mean we have to agree with such sentiments. I record here and now that we certainly and absolutely do not agree.

Sinn Féin has questioned the tax collection methods relating to corporation tax for years. The so-called "double Irish" was closed because of massive pressure internationally, in particular from the EU. We were then able to come up with a replacement scheme in the knowledge box. We should be charging the applicable rate of corporation tax in its entirety and ending poverty in this country. I can anticipate the response from the Leader. He will say we are ruining Ireland's reputation, are anti-jobs and are always negative. I will write the script for him.