Kenny praises Obama move

Taoiseach Enda Kenny yesterday welcomed confirmation that US President Barack Obama has withdrawn his allegation that Ireland is a “tax haven”.

Mr Kenny, in London yesterday for the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games, was responding to a controversy between the President and White House hopeful Mitt Romney.

Mr Obama’s re-election campaign team included Ireland alongside Bermuda, Cayman Islands, and Luxembourg on a fact sheet under the question: “Has Mitt Romney avoided US taxes by investing millions in tax havens?”

However, the wording was subsequently changed to refer to Ireland as a “low-tax country”.

Mr Kenny said: “I discussed this with President Obama when he came to Dublin last year and clearly the White House recognises that Ireland is not a tax haven.

“While there was some logistics attached to this and some technical matters, President Obama is very clear in his view that Ireland is not a tax haven and of course I welcome that.

“In fact, part of the work that we have been at in the last 12 months is to reassure and reaffirm and restore Ireland’s reputation abroad, and particularly with the US and potential investors, which was evidenced on Thursday in the bond auction held by the NTMA, and also in the continued very strong line of investment from American multinationals into Ireland. They know that our country is not a tax haven.”

The Taoiseach also held a meeting at the Irish embassy with Mr Romney to discuss relations between the US and Ireland.

Mr Kenny said: “Obviously it is important that meetings like this can take place between representatives of countries with similar approaches to dealing with our culture, our tradition and our people.”