Today, Ireland is a country reckoning with the cost and consequences of abandoning its ideals for economic gain. Since freeing 26 of its 32 counties from British rule more than 100 years ago, Ireland has moved away from its socialist roots and embraced neoliberalism. This change in ideology paved the way for it to become one of the richest countries in Europe but also left it unable to uphold some of its core principles moulded by the nation’s centuries-long struggle against occupation and oppression.
Over the years, Ireland did everything in its power to make itself attractive to large multinationals. Its low corporate tax, coupled with its status as the only English-speaking nation in the European Union, has made it a haven for foreign direct investment. The American Chamber of Commerce recently named it the “global location of choice for talent and innovation”. Its windfall corporate tax income – including the $14bn it recently received from Apple – has filled the nation’s coffers. ….more
