Tax Dodging Undermining Irish Aid

Have a look at Christian Aid Ireland's latest report Tax of Life, which highlights how tax dodging by multinational companies undermines the development of countries that Irish Aid supports.

Christian Aid has called on the Irish government to take action to address this massive loss of tax by;

• Supporting the introduction of binding country by country reporting standards for multinational companies
• Examining policy coherence between Irish Aid and the Department of Finance
• Moving forward the goal of establishing a truly multilateral agreement for the automatic exchange of tax information

Irish businesses have also been called upon to act by making tax issues part of their corporate social responsibility and supporting progressive steps taken by the Irish government.

Irish Unemployment

Figures released today by the OECD, show that Ireland has the third highest rate of unemployment within the block. Lower than only Spain and Slovakia, Ireland's rate now stands at 13.2%.

That translates into nearly a tripling of the unemployment rate in just 3 years and is considerably higher than the OECD area rate of 8.7%.

With government machinations to prop up the banking industry being published on a daily basis, it would be a welcome change to hear what nascent plans if any are in place to address the daily struggle that over 13% of the country is now facing.

Today's the Day for Clegg

Coalition governments have become the norm in Ireland. It is always known, regardless of what politicians say prior to an election, which parties are likely to pair off after the votes have been counted. There have been no surprises in recent history.

However, the situation in the UK is quite different. For decades, the political landscape has been dominated by either the Conservatives or Labour - neither party ever being forced to form an official coalition in order to gain an overall majority. The Liberal Democrats on the other hand have always been a minority voice who have existed perpetually in opposition. Now though, they are in the unique position of being able to decide, within reason, which of the established parties forms the next government.

As a result, both the Conservatives and Labour are offering concessions to the Liberal Democrats, but the key issue on the table is electoral reform. Nick Clegg must realise that true electoral reform - the kind that will embolden the political aspirations of his party - would be suicide for the Conservatives. Whether is be alternative voting or proportional representation, the Conservative party would suffer the most in future elections whereas Labour and the Liberal Democrats would benefit dramatically.

Mr Clegg has stated since the beginning of this campaign that he intends to assiduously respect the wish of the British electorate. It could be argued that to do so he must go into government with the Conservatives who secured the most seats in the 2010 election. Alternatively it could be suggested that if he truly wants to respect the will of the people, then he must do everything in his power to ensure that the political system is designed to realise that will.

If the Liberal Democrats side with the Conservatives they will be accused of abandoning some of their core principles but if they opt for Labour, many pundits will criticise them for propping up a party that much of the UK does not wish to see retain power. Either way, they will be lambasted by one side. The question that the Liberal Democrats have to ask themsevles is whether they are willing to suffer for the good of the people that they purport to represent or just suffer for their chance in power.

Greek Protests

Not to trivialise the civil unrest currently bringing strife to the streets of Greece, but it is worth highlighting one protestor's call during the riots;

We are not Ireland. We do not sacrifice ourselves for the rich

What will it take to push Irish people on to the streets?

CRH and Israel's Wall

Next Tuesday (05/05/10), the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign is organising a boycott/divestment at the CRH Annual General Meeting being held in the Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire.

The group is calling on CRH to cease its involvement with Israel's West Bank Wall, which they have labelled an Apartheid wall, and which has been internationally condemned.

Take part or find out more here.

Oxfam Launches Climate Financing Action

Oxfam Ireland is asking campaigners to urge the Taoiseach and the Minister for the Environment to ensure that climate financing is new money.

Ireland has committed €100 million, approximately €33 million per year, in fast-track money to support developing countries cope with the devastating effects of the changing climate. Oxfam Ireland is calling for this money to be separate from our existing aid commitment to reach 0.7% of national income by 2015.

To join the call, you can take action here.

Water Tax

There is growing resistance to the imposition of water charges on homes in Ireland. It would seem sensible to tax such an essential a resource in order to ensure it is protected and sustained for future generations. However, there are some key arguments against the latest government proposal to do so;

There are no plans in place as yet that the tax collected from these charges would be earmarked for the improvement of Ireland's moribund water infrastructure. It is reasonable to assume that the moneys collected would simply go into the general state coffers. If the government is genuinely serious about conserving water, then it needs to dramatically invest in a system which allows nearly half the treated water in many local authorities to be lost through broken pipes.

Regarding the public's attitude to water conservation, I believe that if you hit people's pockets, they tend to adjust their behaviour accordingly. However, there is some credence in the supposition that if investment in the infrastructure is accompanied by a national educational campaign the same results could be yielded. This option is less attractive to those in power however, as it does not facilitate immediate results and is quite costly.

Another point of contention is that taxation of our national resource is an incremental step towards the privatisation of water. Whether this is fact or fantasy, it is worth bearing in mind as the people's water service should always be maintained by the people's representatives. Privatisation will not lead to greater efficiency - it would simply solidify a charge and instill a profit driven management of a national and natural resource.

I imagine the debate surrounding water taxation is bound to be controversial and one that will be hotly contested in the coming months.