Yesterday, the European Commission basically confirmed everything we already knew about Ireland’s preferential tax rates for foreign multinationals.
The European Commission declared yesterday that Ireland “granted undue tax benefits” to Tech giant Apple to the sum of an eye watering €13 billion. The figure was so high that it was considered state aid by the EC.
Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, the dogged head of competition policy in the EU, who has recently taken Google and mobile provider Three to task, demanded that Ireland must now recover the illegal aid.
And today, someone made a small but effective protest outside Fine Gael Headquarters on Mount Street in Dublin.
The HQ of the lead party, Fine Gael, in the Irish government. In response to #AppleTax
Great stuff pic.twitter.com/Jku8N126Oz
— Mark Malone (@soundmigration) August 31, 2016
Since this has come to light, Fine Gael Finance Minister Mr Noonan has declared that he intends to appeal the EC decision, on the grounds that if they take the money, they are conceding to the EC and their beliefs on illegal state aid.
A cabinet meeting was arranged for today to discuss the matter, with The Independent Alliance calling for an early recall of the Dáil . The meeting has since been adjourned and another is scheduled for this coming Friday.
Irish Times journalist Fintan O’Toole believes that the Commission’s ruling that Ireland recoup the sum of €13 billion in unpaid taxes from Apple…
“…is arguably the greatest single challenge to the State’s economic policy consensus since T.K. Whitaker and Sean Lemass engineered the abandonment of economic nationalism in 1958”
The reaction from the Irish public since the news went public yesterday has generally been quite negative.
Father Stone sides with the gov on the #AppleTax issue #FatherTed pic.twitter.com/ZSOHTKXVuj
— Hairy Baby Irish T-Shirts (@HairyBabyTees) August 31, 2016
Now €19 Billion and we're all walking around on eggshells…..
JUST TAKE THE MONEY.#AppleTax
— Dustin The Turkey (@DustinOfficial) August 31, 2016
The last year 40% rise in homelessness. 70% rise in #homeless children. Yet Gov want to turn back on €13bn #AppleTax. Why? Capitalism! #dubw
— Ruth Coppinger (@RuthCoppingerSP) August 30, 2016
