European leaders ‘beating up the Irish’ over corporate tax rate

I support cranleigh's comment. I also say don't let France and Germany make Ireland "roll over" (as we say here in the US.) At issue, especially with France, are differing approaches to an economy. Ireland has one that works (albeit quite painfully now due to real estate and banking; rather like what I see here in the US.) Ireland has few resources other than it's well educated people, English speakers as they are, and its tax code. (It's a lovely place to visit and live but that's "below the line".) Continue on and the Celtic Tiger will grow, painfully, again. Also, did you see the article about 60 Minutes complaining about 100,000 jobs from the US in Ireland? That's what globalization is all about and hang on to those jobs!

Cranleigh i understand what you're saying about France's lower than claimed Corp Tax. Most countries let corporations away with much lower tax than what they owe. Barclays bank in the UK pay around 1% tax! These greedy corporations pay scandalously little on the premise that they are creating jobs and threaten to take their business elsewhere if pressure it put on them to pay their fair share. Their greed is destroying economies. The working man is subsidizing the taxes of corporations by paying higher Income tax & VAT. There would be no need for the various austerity budgets around Europe lately if Corporations just paid their fair share.

citizen69, did you read what the WSJ wrote? If Germany and France want their banks' money back, they should try to keep Ireland as a going concern and that will certainly be more unlikely if corporation taxes rise and American companies leave. And if Merkel and Sarkozy really cared about their own economies, they would copy Ireland's rate. Their action is a gross violation of Irish sovereignty. Incidentally, France has contributed very little to Ireland's prosperity over the years and their own corporation tax is far lower than they claim. Right now these countries are 'helping' Ireland to save their own stupid banks.

having a track record of chutzpah -Gerry Adams is the only one who could defend Ireland that ENDa fellow is ill equipped nor his party cronies nor those across the aisles.

Gerry Adams is the only one who could defend Ireland that ENDa fellow is ill equipped nor his party cronies nor those across the aisles.

"greedy taxsuckers in the EU"??... Ireland made a lot more money out of the EU than they ever put in i'm afraid, France, Germany & UK are the ones bailing Ireland out of its own mess and I guess they just want a level playing field... The Irish goverment was steadfast in its commitment not to increase Corporation Tax but didn't think twice about raising Income Tax & other taxes for the working man!

Here they come! The greedy taxsuckers in the EU are going to hammer at your "lower" tax rates as being bad for Ireland and bad for them ... unions, banks, exchange rates, g'ment(s) ... Too bad that no case can be made that tax increases will create new jobs, new business, economic stimulus generally. Because tax increases will NEVER create anything except more government. Keep the faith, keep taxes low and the Celtic Tiger will rise again, long before the EU ever recovers ...

IRELANDS FINANCE DEPT should seperate out that part of the Bank's and Bondholders speculative losses and say "Tough! You gambled and you lost! ~ ~ ~ Instead of saying; You gambled, you lost! so here are your winnings!

Raise those taxes on foreign corporations. Chase our American companies back home. We need the jobs here.

High financing of foreign corporations reduces investment for the Irish People and allows the fraudulent of the world to rip off the Irish. The corporation tax must rise and create and equal environment for progress.