Sir, – Bobby McDonagh praises Michael McGrath and Paschal Donohoe who have “shaped and steered one of the most successful economies in Europe” (“Stop catastrophising about Michael McGrath’s European Commission prospects”, Opinion & Analysis, August 10th). In your editorial, you point out that “exchequer finances have been supported by an extraordinary rise in corporate tax payments” (“The Irish Times view on tax and the budget: the scope for real relief is limited”, August 11th).
Our role as one of the world’s largest tax havens makes these corporate tax payments not that extraordinary. Corporate giants pay relatively little in comparison to the hundreds of billions that are channelled through Ireland annually. This tax haven role was also shaped and steered by successive ministers of finance and has fed into worsening global and local inequality, increased migration and a prolonging of poverty in poorer countries. We need to find a better way toward a successful economy. – Yours, etc,
PAUL CONNOLLY,
Cavan.