Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 106: To ask the Minister for Finance if he has exercised his powers to block the emergence of a common corporate tax base; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7965/06]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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As I informed the House on 13 December 2005, to date, the Commission has not made a formal proposal on the common consolidated corporate tax base. At the informal Ecofin in September 2004 it was agreed that the Commission should establish a technical working group to consider such matters. While we opposed such a move, we, like all other member states, are participating in the group without prejudice to our national position of opposition to the common consolidated corporate tax base. As there is no proposal currently being examined by Council, the issue of exercising a block does not arise.