A Matter of Trust: Ahern says 'we retain our veto'

Bertie Ahern, who resigned in April 1st after revelations at the Mahon Tribunal

The Irish TImes, Thursday, December 20, 2007

Irish veto over EU tax changes will remain, Ahern states
Marie O'Halloran
Ireland will continue to have a veto over tax sovereignty, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern told the Dáil, as he was questioned about the EU reform treaty referendum.
He rejected concerns from Sinn Féin, the only party in the Dáil to oppose the treaty, about moves to have a common corporate tax base, and said he did not believe it was "the type of grand project that will ever progress into a policy area".
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The Taoiseach did not think it would turn into a tax-harmonisation issue "and if I did, I would not support it. We still have our own protections".
Mr Ahern was referring to the "red line" areas of protection or special interest. "Tax sovereignty is an area over which we have a veto," he said.