In January 2017, the Knowledge Development Box Bill 2016 returned to the Seanad.
Following pressure from me at Committee Stage the Minister agreed to publish an annual report on outcomes of the measures implemented under the bill. However, I was disappointed that the Minister would not commit to providing the level of information we need to adequately scrutinise this measure. I was also disappointed that both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael voted against my amendments for Revenue to exchange information with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation around the cost to the exchequer of the measure and the tax forgone. My 'join the dots' amendment which proposed to track whether the Knowledge Development Box is linking up effectively with our wider innovation and employment strategy was also defeated.
The proposal, due to be voted on by the parliament this week, in the last plenary session before the elections, would limit decisions on the work programme of the European Defence Fund to the European Commission and committees through “implementation acts”, effectively bypassing debate, criticism or approval from MEPs.
On Thursday 19 November, World Philosophy Day, Senator Alice-Mary Higgins was delighted to launch the 2021 Young Philosopher Awards and to congratulate Lily McCann of Temple Carrig, Greystones, who was the overall winner of the Young Philosopher Award 2020 for her project ‘What Do We Owe To Each Other?’