Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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409. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her views on public country by country reporting for corporation tax purposes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8356/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Ireland supports transparency and welcomes the proposal for a Directive to amend Directive 2013/34/EU (the Accounting Directive) as regards disclosure of income tax information by certain undertakings and branches (country by country reporting). However, we consider that this measure should have the benefit of tax expertise to ensure that it is consistent with existing reporting requirements and, importantly, with the international cooperation and exchange of information arrangements, which are based on confidentiality. Tax experts are best placed to ensure that international efforts to collect income tax from multinational corporations will not be undermined by new measures.

Ireland supported a joint statement to the Competitiveness Council which agreed with the Council Legal Service that the legal base for this proposal should be a tax base (Article 115 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union), and therefore, should be considered by ECOFIN Council.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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410. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the status of public country by country reporting for corporation tax purposes in the EU; if a decision on the matter requires unanimous consent from all member states; if not, if qualified majority voting is to be used; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8357/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The proposal for a Directive to amend Directive 2013/34/EU (the Accounting Directive) as regards disclosure of income tax information by certain undertakings and branches (country by country reporting) was made by the European Commission in April 2016. The proposal was on the Competitiveness Council Agenda on 28 November 2019 for general approach. In the absence of sufficient support for the presidency's proposal, the presidency announced that it would continue work on this file and that it would reflect on the best way for taking this forward. The Proposal was discussed separately at the Economic and Financial Affairs Council in December 2019. 

A decision on the proposal will be made by qualified majority voting.

Ireland supports transparency and good governance. However, we continue to be of the opinion that this Proposal should be considered by tax experts in order to ensure that it is consistent with international cooperation and exchange of information arrangements, which are based on confidentiality. Ireland supported a joint statement to the Competitiveness Council which agreed with the Council Legal Service that the legal base for this proposal should be a tax base (Article 115 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union), and therefore, should be considered by the Economic and Financial Affairs Council.