Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 March 2004
12 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Finance if he will make a statement on preparations for the planned meeting of EU Finance Ministers at Punchestown racecourse in April 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8943/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraI look forward to chairing the informal meeting of the Council of Economics and Finance Ministers of the EU, ECOFIN, on 2 to 4 April, in Punchestown, Country Kildare. This meeting will be among the largest and most important to take place in Ireland over the period of the Presidency. It will be attended by some 300 delegates and up to 400 media personnel. The national delegations from the 25 member states of the enlarged EU will be led by Ministers for Finance and central bank governors in each case. The attendance will also include a number of Commissioners, among them President Prodi, and other distinguished representatives of EU institutions, including Mr Jean-Claude Trichet, President of the European Central Bank.
Preparations for the meeting are well in hand. Delegates will be accommodated in a single location — the Citywest Golf Resort Hotel in Saggart, County Dublin. The meetings of 2 April of the Eurogroup and of 3 April of ECOFIN will be held in the event centre in Punchestown, which will be specially adapted for the purpose. The large media attendance will be accommodated in a number of local hotels and will cover the meetings from the Punchestown racecourse facilities close to the event centre. The main hospitality arising will be a dinner for all delegates which I will host in the K Club, Straffan, County Kildare, on 2 April and a dinner similarly for all delegates that the Governor of the Central Bank, Mr. John Hurley, will host in the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, Dublin, on 3 April.
There are many other detailed aspects to organising a meeting of this size and importance. A dedicated team in my Department has been arranging these logistical aspects for some time. I am satisfied the meeting will be successful both at an organisational level and at the level of moving forward with the demanding policy agenda that the Presidency and ECOFIN agreed for the six month period of the Presidency.
Will the Minister agree that a charge of €83,400 for the public relations services of the consultancy company is an extraordinarily high charge in the context of the small amount of work which must be carried out? The Minister has hundreds of civil servants working in his Department, many of whom are extremely able. Given that he saw fit to cut so stringently the budget for social welfare recipients, I do not understand how he can afford to spend almost €84,000 on one day's consultancy work in respect of the meeting in Punchestown. Has enough public money not been spent already on Punchestown? I am sure the money spent on it is already a byword among European Finance Ministers.
Will one of the subjects for discussion be the proposal by the French Government to go for harmonised corporate taxes under the enhanced co-operation measure? I would like to hear the Minister's comments on the potential impact on Ireland of such a harmonisation move.
In response to a previous question, the Minister stated the total cost of the event would be in the region of €250,000. Is that still the case and will any of it result in capital fixtures and fittings being left behind in Punchestown racecourse after the meeting has ended?
I will deal with the overall cost of the event in Punchestown. It is estimated that the direct Exchequer cost of the event will be in the order of €500,000. This is net of a contribution towards the cost to the Central Bank and the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ireland, reflecting the participation of the central bank governors at the meeting. The Central Bank will issue a special collectors' coin in connection with the event and the enlargement of 1 May. Profits from the coin is expected to be in the region of €1 million.
Deputy Richard Bruton has tabled a question on enhanced co-operation in the taxation area. This will be discussed at the ECOFIN meeting. The Deputy will be aware that enhanced co-operation is allowed under the treaties and was copper-fastened in the Nice treaty. However, a considerable number of processes must be gone through before a number of countries can go down the enhanced co-operation route. This poses no threat to Ireland's corporation tax rate because I do not anticipate they will decrease to Ireland's rate. I do not think there is much to fear in this regard. There are issues in regard to a consolidated tax base which the Commission has put forward. In reply to Deputy Burton, all civil servants in my Department are very able.
Written answers follow Adjournment Debate.
