Corporate tax and multinationals

Sir, – David McWilliams ("Don't worry, multinationals are not about to up sticks", Opinion, July 7th) neglects to consider that objection to our economic reliance on the presence of multinational corporations is not out of fear that they will abandon us, but that they are using us to keep their ungodly wealth out of the reach of governments across Europe and the rest of the world – governments that desperately need revenue for social supports to counterbalance the effects of the globalisation from which multinational corporations so handsomely benefit. Your columnist's remark that if "we look after them, they will stay here" is telling. As demonstrated so appallingly by the Apple tax case, us "looking after" multinational corporations means governments denied the means to look after their people. The fact that our own tax revenues are buoyed by the contributions of multinationals is cold comfort to the governments who fall victim to schemes like the "Double Irish". – Yours, etc,

ALAN EUSTACE,

Marino,

Dublin 9.