Ireland is not being used as a Cayman Islands-style tax paradise by rich businessmen, the Taoiseach insisted in the Dáil today.
Bertie Ahern was responding to claims by Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins who said corporation tax rates in the country were "utterly immoral".
Mr Ahern said: "What you'd like to have is high taxes, high unemployment and huge poverty — and then you'd be happy."
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern
"Was that why you were thrown out of the Labour Party, because you always wanted to have things bad. If things are good, it doesn't suit you.
"If the sun shines, you want to have rain. Fair play to you, at least you've been consistent for 30 years."
It was the latest in a series of personalised exchanges between the two — last year, Mr Ahern referred to Mr Higgins as "a nitwit" and "a failed person".
Mr Higgins claimed today that major companies were using the state as a Cayman Islands-style tax haven to take billions of euro in profits and avoid paying millions in taxes.
He told the Taoiseach: "You also facilitate massive tax avoidance by Irish multi-millionaire tax exiles, although these patriots do make the sacrifice of abandoning their far-flung luxury mansions to tug your sleeve every summer in Galway, not doubt to ensure that you will continue to allow them to skim on taxes."
He added that AIB and CRH had amassed billions in profits in 2006 but paid a relative pittance in taxes. He claimed that Irish semi-state companies were using ghost companies in Amsterdam to avoid paying taxes.
He added: "You have created a tax paradise for big business and the super rich but you won't pay the nurses their dues.
"You have the second highest teacher-pupil ration in the European Union and we have desperate parents that can't access special needs services for children.
"Is there any other way to describe the corporation tax policy of your Government except to say that it is utterly immoral."
Mr Ahern said that political groupings in Europe were envious of Ireland's low-tax economy and job creation success. He continued: "I'm sad to see, that you, who would normally fight the causes of working class people would take in the right wing view of French and German people.
"All commercial companies, including semi-state companies, are entitled to organise their tax affairs in an efficient and legal manner so as to minimise the amount of tax payable.
"That's the way companies operate across the world."
The Taoiseach said that Ireland's corporation tax system was more efficient and transparent than most EU countries.
Mr Higgins added: "Microsoft boss Bill Gates struts the world stage as a philanthropist but uses Ireland for blatant tax avoidance.
"The Irish tax exiles, your friends, who also strut around in this country, raising funds for worthy causes, but if they paid their due taxation, those causes would be funded ten times over, without having to go with a begging bowl to them."
Mr Ahern replied: "It seems everybody is my friend today."