Madam, – We shouldn’t apologise for our corporate tax rate – we need it now and in the future.The justification for our 12.5 per cent rate is that we are a periphery nation in the European bloc. In large geographic blocs there is always an economic suction to the centre and our rate is merely a counterbalance to this natural tendency. Call it continuous harmonisation, if you like. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – With the pressure now on this country from the EU to change its corporate tax rate, how many readers remember Declan Ganly warning us, at the time of the vote(s) on Lisbon, that this would happen? But he was shouted down by our then Minister for Foreign Affairs. Micheál Martin told us that Lisbon II was a brand new treaty, (which it wasn’t), and that amendments had been made to it (but there were no amendments made to Lisbon Treaty document).
As recently as June 2009, Mr Martin was widely quoted as saying he had “verbal undertakings” from Brussels, and claiming again that the Lisbon II vote was for a “new” treaty. He said there were, “cast iron safeguards built in to allay Irish concerns” on our corporate tax rate.
On the basis of this and other promises, we foolishly opted to vote the treaty through the second time. Would it be impertinent of us to ask Mr Martin where these “undertakings” and “safeguards” are now? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I read that Angela Merkel did not ask our Taoiseach Enda Kenny to increase our corporation tax rate, but instead asked for some “gesture” (Business, March 17th).
If Dr Merkel is looking for some big headline, how about “Ireland commits to having the same corporation rate as Germany’s”? Mr Kenny can promise this commitment by stating we will implement Germany’s rate of corporation tax as soon as we have repaid all our debts to the ECB and bond holders?
If that gesture is not agreeable to Dr Merkel, then Mr Kenny can travel over some weekend to Germany with a silver teapot. The same gesture of friendship that Charles Haughey conveyed to Margaret Thatcher. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Sarkozy, Merkel and co are jealous of our corporation tax? Solution – cut theirs! – Yours, etc,