Ireland Finance Minister Michael Noonan is making the rounds in Washington, meeting with acting IMF Director John Lipsky, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, and Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue. As noted in this Irish Times article, Noonan is unwavering in his opposition to raising Ireland’s corporate income tax rate. Here’s what he had to say during a CNBC interview:

“The 12.5 per cent corporate tax rate is not negotiable. What we’re being asked to do is to change it for the sake of a lower interest rate. We’d rather pay the higher interest rate, and we’ll continue to pay it if the quid pro quo is any change in our corporate tax rate. We’re not for turning, as Lady Thatcher said.”

That statement gets lots of support from Donohue, who during a visit to Dublin last month urged Irish business and government leaders to maintain a low corporate tax rate. You can read Donohue’s entire speech in Ireland here. Below, check out the video of Donohue’s trip to his ancestral homeland.