Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe said Ireland was currently the largest net contributor per capita to the EU budget and suggested this contribution would increase.
In a speech ahead of a summit of euro zone leaders in Brussels, Donohoe said: “We’re already now, per capita, one of the largest contributors to the European Union budget and I believe that’s appropriate. We’ve benefited from this budget many times in the past, and we continue to benefit from it. I would certainly make the case for maintaining that level of contribution.”
Ireland has already opposed a measure requiring member states to contribute 0.5% of the gross operating surplus of their business sector.
Gross operating surplus represents the level of profit after deducting salaries and other overhead costs.
Ireland argued that since the ratio of the state’s gross operating surplus to gross national income is 80% – compared to the EU average of 23% – the measure would hit Ireland disproportionately.
Mr Donohoe said: “Ireland has already made a major contribution to the change in global corporate tax policy by our participation in the OECD process, and we have now passed at second stage the finance bill that will bring about an effective 15% minimum effective tax rate,” reports RTE.
“We have made a huge contribution to it, and us. And I expect limited change in this area in the future, beyond the implementation of the OECD process, which itself is going to bring about a lot of change for countries,” he added, reports RTE.
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