Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 78: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will respond to the recent comments by the EU Tax Commissioner, Mr. Laszlo Kovacs, that a deal on common EU corporate tax rates will be agreed within three years. [18335/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I understand it was reported that EU Tax Commissioner, Mr. Lazlo Kovacs, made comments at a tax seminar in Stockholm recently anticipating that work on an EU common consolidated corporate tax base could be completed within three years.

A technical working group chaired by the Commission is currently considering the issues and has a three year work plan. Ireland, along with all other member states, is participating in the work of the technical group without prejudice to our national position.

As regards the Commission's proposals for a common consolidated corporate tax base the Irish position is clear. We, along with a number of other member States, are opposed to the harmonisation of the corporate tax base. We believe that the efforts of all are better spent in tackling specific issues identified as barriers to trade and we support the efforts to eliminate unfair business tax practices within the EU. While the Commission's proposal does not explicitly include the harmonisation of corporation tax rates, our opposition to the harmonisation of corporation tax is well known.