Austerity Fine Gael Style?

Global Taxation Committee must be free to invite multi-national corporations – Doherty

July 3rd, 2013 - Pearse Doherty TD

Sinn Féin finance spokesperson, Pearse Doherty TD’s motion before the Oireachtas Finance and Public Expenditure Committee which sought to allow the Sub-Committee on Global Taxation to invite multi-national corporations to give evidence at future meetings was voted down this afternoon.


Deputy Doherty said he was amazed that the committee voted against his motion to invite multi-national corporations to give evidence, at a committee that is discussing corporation tax for multi-national companies.
He said:
“The reason the sub-committee is discussing this issue is because of a motion I put to the committee seven months ago.


“The Sub-Committee on Global Taxation will hear from the OECD, the Department of Finance, the Revenue Commissioner and the Minister of Finance along with 13 other individuals.
“However, despite the fact that the sub-committee is charged with discussing corporation tax for multi-national corporations it is clear that the majority of the committee, are opposed to inviting multi-national corporations give evidence.
“Given the fact that multi-national corporations have appeared at committees in Britain and the United States to give evidence about their tax affairs in Ireland, it is ridiculous that politicians here in Ireland would vote down a proposal for them to do the same here.
“If the committee is to do its job properly it is important that it is free to invite the relevant people and companies to provide all the relevant information.”

Pearse Doherty’s original motion:
I propose that the following motion be discussed in public session at the next meeting:
That the Sub-Committee on Global Taxation may invite, if it sees it as appropriate, and after hearing from the OECD, the Department of Finance, the Revenue Commissioner and the Minister of Finance, and the other named individuals discussed at the Sub-Committee on Global Taxation meeting of 26 June, other witnesses before the committee.

Fine Gael amendment to Pearse Doherty’s proposal:
To delete all words after “That the Sub-Committee on Global Taxation ” and substitute the following:

"shall report to the Joint Committee following its consideration of evidence from the OECD; the Department of Finance; the Revenue Commissioners; the Minister for Finance, and other relevant taxation and academic experts on the global corporate/multinational taxation architecture and Ireland's relationship with that tax architecture. Such report to recommend, if it sees it as appropriate, as to further enquiries and proposed witnesses."

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