You conceed then that the present fiscal advantages offered by Ireland are temporary and unsustainable. Thankyou. If succesive FF governments had used the temporary concession of an advantageous tax rate to invest in the future there might have been some justification for prolonging the current situation. Unfortunately this has not been the case. We are now in a situation in which many companies that contribute large sume to the Exchequer may decide to leave. Ireland should be looking to anchor these companies in Ireland, in part by ensuring that they cannot find a more advantageous tax regime elsewhere in Europe.

I am in favour of a degree of tax harmonisation. Low rates of corporation tax may give companies a competitive advantage. However, many forms of competitive advantage are unacceptable – adulterating flour, watering beer, employing slave labour, excessive sub-contracting so that full time employees are legally self-employed, not contributing to statutory employees pension funds… Which is why we have legislation to control such unacceptable practices. There is an onging debate about the degree and the nature of such regulation, but even the most rabid neo-liberal does not wish to abolish all such legislation. International agreements determine much of these rules. The EU is one of many organisations that negotiate and administer such agreements, which are an essential element of internatioanl trading. European customers can buy Irish products knowing that they meet a set of agreed standards.

I am not alone in considering that the perverse accountancy practise of artifically locating profits in tax havens should be countered. The introduction of a common methodology for locating taxable income is a considerable progress on the current situation. This may mean that the present government will have to find other sources of revenue.

Gordon

It may have going slower. But if that means less sovereignty is being surrendered then I say a good thing too. That slowness is largely owed to the fact that all voices are being heard. On a smaller Commission the voices of small countries like Ireland would be smothered by our absence. Think about what it would mean: 5 yrs and perhaps longer with noone representing the Irish perspective. That is unacceptable. Don’t forget the reprimand Charlie McCreevy got in 2001. The French and Germans are pushing to use Commissioner Kovacz’s plan for a CCTB (Common Consolidated Tax Base) to erode our competitive advantage and introduce tax-harmonisation by the back door. If passed it would allow 8 countries more easily press ahead with it on their own, meaning that Irish-based companies exporting to other EU states would have to pay taxes to the destination-countries of those sales. This was discussed in detail on “Down to Business” on Newstalk last Saturday. I suggest you educate yourself about this issue because it is deadly serious, and worthy of serious discussion. The point of multinationals coming here is largely our lower rate of corporation-tax. It certainly isn’t our crumbling infrastructure. If companies coming to Ireland are also going to have to pay taxes to Germany and France as the CCTB means, then they simply won’t come here. The Reform Treaty relates to this issue because whereas at present, 27%+ on the Council of Ministers is enough to block it, the Reform Treaty increases that to 35%+. We should vote no and force a rethink on this issue. You are far too trusting.

“3.There is a substatial difference between the long struggle to esape from imperial domination and the present tendancy to deal with Europe wide problems at the appropriate level. As far as I am aware the organisation based in Brussels/Luxembourg/Strasbourg has no ambition to set p an imperial government in Ireland nor to establish a colonial economy.”

Arguments for this Treaty are not unlike the arguments of the Unionists in the Irish Parliament in 1800 for the Act of Union. EU Commission president Barroso has already referred to the EU as an empire:

http://www.youtube.com/v/c2Ralocq9uE

“5. As one of the instigators of Ireland’s rogue state status it is unsurprising that McCreevy is opposed to attempts to establish a fiscal level playing field.”

Sounds to me like your conceding the treaty will help introduce tax-harmonisation so I win on that point thank you very much.

“4. Irish politicians and voters may have a particular problem with the notion of treating problems at different levels. This is because Ireland is one of the most centralised States in Europe, has little or no tradition of local government (or rather that the Dail operates as the local government for the whole country) and does not have an independant civil service at the local level.”

Yes and now this Treaty will take decision-making even further away from the people.

2. After the failure of the Constitution things did go on as before – inefficiently, slowly and undemocratically – which is why a new arrangement is necessary.

3.There is a substatial difference between the long struggle to esape from imperial domination and the present tendancy to deal with Europe wide problems at the appropriate level. As far as I am aware the organisation based in Brussels/Luxembourg/Strasbourg has no ambition to set p an imperial government in Ireland nor to establish a colonial economy.

4. Irish politicians and voters may have a particular problem with the notion of treating problems at different levels. This is because Ireland is one of the most centralised States in Europe, has little or no tradition of local government (or rather that the Dail operates as the local government for the whole country) and does not have an independant civil service at the local level.

5. As one of the instigators of Ireland’s rogue state status it is unsurprising that McCreevy is opposed to attempts to establish a fiscal level playing field.

Gordon

Arguably, Commissioners should not be nominated by member states, so that they are not seen as representing a countries interests. It would certainly be more democratic if they were nominated by the Parlement. Each member state has equal representation at the Council of Ministers, has representation proportional to population in the Parlement. A Commission of 27 or more members is unworkable, leading to a division of responsibilities into such tiny sectors as to be meaningless. Does any one know what each member of Bartholomew Ahern’s horde of over-paid buck passsers is supposed to be (not) in charge of. Demarcation disputes are ongoing.

Gordon

It is working as we speak. There are already 27 Commissioners and that seems fair. That is what will be lost under this Treaty from 2014. Imagine – a whole 5 yr Commission term with noone to fight Ireland’s corner against those Commissioners pushing for tax-harmonisation like Lazlo Kovacz, the Tax Commissioner.

You want a referendum in your state? Campaign there for one. This is a treaty between sovereign states. It’s not Ireland’s problem if other state’s democracies don’t function as well as ours.

1. Ireland’s status as a largely unregulated tax haven and refuge for the tax avoidance industry is not sustainable. The situation is increasingly unacceptable, and will inevitably end, either through international regulation, or Ireland being undercut by another, even more unscrupulouus country. A responsible government would have used the ill-gotten gains to invest in infrastructure, education and the development of a truly “knowledge based” economy. Unfortunately, the present incumbents have prefered to encourage a property speculation based ilusion of wealth. Rather than fighting a losing battle against the spread of fiscal probity, Ireland should be participating in the debate by suggesting measures that would ensure that non-European companies chose to locate in Ireland for real economic reasons rather than short-term tax minimisation.

2. He objects to a measure designed to ensure that all citizens of member states benefit from the same legal guarantees on the basis that this would impinge on Irelands right to organise “collective expulsions”. This prohibition ensures that each individual has the right to have his/her case treated on its merits, rather than simply because they belong to a group deemed indesirable. It would certainly be more convenient if Ireland could expulse people simply because they are Nigerian, Jewish, Protestant, Catholic, Roms, homosexuals or don’t vote for FF… do we really want to live in such a country.

The Charter of Fundamental Rights is the inevitable and logical step forward from the current rights of citizens of member states to live and work anywhere in the EU. Without some uniformisation of rights then the present mess, particularily in respect of family law and employment law will continue to degenerate. Free movement of people and goods requires that there is a common element in the legal situation throughout the area.

Having lived in France for many years I have some difficulty in understanding BB’s reference to French closed shops and easier strike rules. The influence of the EU has eased many restrictions on the employment of non French citizens in the public sector. France continues to import labour for it’s industry. Strikes in France are largely limited to the public service sector, and are more attributable to the absence of a culture of negociation and “partnership” than to the (mythical) absence of constraints on union action. Regretably, French management culture is such that the strike is used not when all other avenues of negotiation have failed, but as a necessary preamble to the opening of any negotiation.

Methinks BB has been reading too much neo-liberal propoganda, which is usually as accurate a Bush’s comment about the French not having a word for “entrepreneur”

3. Only in Bertieland would a Government which is so numerous that they almost have to rent the tent from Galway Races to pack everybody in to hols a meeting be considered acceptable. The number of EU Commissioners has become unworkable. Is there any evidence of Commisioners using their position to advance purely national interest? I would welcome a debate of how a Commission of 27 or more members could work.

4. As a democrat I welcome the increased role given to the elected Parlement rather to a co-opted Commission.

Gordon DAVIES