Fine Gael & Fianna Fáil at odds in Brussels over tax, and at odds with Irish government – MacManus
Sinn Féin MEP Chris MacManus has said “confusion reigns” as Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil MEPs voted differently on public country-by-country reporting in the EU Parliament with both now at odds with the position of the Irish government taken only last week.
MacManus said:
“Yesterday in a crucial vote on the Parliament I was happy to support moving forward on public country-by-country reporting. I was surprised however to be joined in supporting the move by Fine Gael MEP Frances Fitzgerald given her government only last week tried to block the move with the Finance Minister saying recently : “we have opposed this proposal as the legal base is not in keeping with the Treaties and that as it relates to tax, it should be the responsibility of Finance Ministers to negotiate in the ECOFIN Council formation rather than at COMPET Council.”
MacManus expanded on the confusion “It’s a bizarre situation. To further add to the confusion Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher abstained on the vote meaning Fine Gael and Fianna Fail now have three positions between the governing coalition parties.”
The Midlands Northwest MEP concluded, “The proposal is a modest one that would add transparency to the tax affairs of multinationals, something Sinn Féin has long called for. I welcome the support of at least some in Fine Gael.” ENDS
Note to editor:
Point 5 : 5. Disclosure of income tax information by certain undertakings and branches, 2016/0107(COD), Evelyn Regner, Ibán García Del Blanco
