NEW YORK:TÁNAISTE EAMON Gilmore once again affirmed Ireland's commitment to maintaining its corporate tax rate yesterday, though he seemed to leave the door slightly ajar concerning EU proposals for a common corporate tax base.
Speaking in New York, Mr Gilmore said that the Government was “determined” to keep the corporate tax rate of 12.5 per cent.
“We are not changing that,” he said. “It is critically important for Ireland in attracting outside investment.”
Mr Gilmore also spoke yesterday at a lunch hosted by the Ireland-US Council, a business organisation that aims to build and develop business ties between the two nations. He told the audience that “there is a sense in Ireland at the moment that we are making a fresh start”, asserting that the recent general election “transformed the political map” and was akin to “a democratic revolution”.
Perhaps mindful of the considerable negative publicity Ireland has received in the US in relation to the economic crisis, the Tánaiste insisted that “the Irish economy is very strong.”
In his earlier media briefing, Mr Gilmore sought to address issues of particular interest to the Irish diaspora. He said the idea of expanding voting rights to include emigrants would be addressed at a constitutional convention.
Mr Gilmore seemed to accept that the chances of major immigration reform being enacted in the US are close to non-existent at present. But he appeared to hold out some hope of a bilateral deal. He said the issue was among those he would raise with US secretary of state Hillary Clinton when he meets her in Washington DC tomorrow morning.