Dublin South West TD, Seán Crowe, has said he is puzzled by at the Government’s refusal to not collect outstanding taxes from Apple of approximately €13 billion.

Responding to the news that the European Commission has decided to take Ireland to the European Court of Justice over its inaction and abject failure to collect the outstanding tax money owed by Apple, the Sinn Féin TD said that the decision to fight this particular case, a case they have little chance of winning, as ridiculous and a terrible waste of taxpayers’ money.

Deputy Seán Crowe said:

“It’s hardly surprising that the European Union Commission has run out of patience with the Irish Government over its failure to collect the approximate €13 billion that is owed by Apple. It is over a year since the ruling and rather strangely not a cent has been collected.

“This failure sends out a terrible message to struggling Irish taxpayers, the cash starved public services, or the 690,000 citizens currently languishing on hospital waiting lists because of the lack of investment.

“Next week, the Minister for Finance will deliver a Budget where he will tell the same taxpayers that resources are limited and his priority must be to balance the books.

“Yet the same Minister has not put in any of the effort necessary to collect the billions of euros owed by Apple to the Irish people, even if that money can’t be accessed until after its appeal.

“That same money could transform our public services and better the lives of countless citizens.

“The Government needs to get their act together and give the go ahead to revenue to collect what is due. More importantly, they then need to drop their appeal. Their defence on this Apple Tax has very little chance of success and their position is bordering on the ridiculous. They have already wasted €3.6 million in fees to lawyers to act against the interests of the Irish people. This is a terrible waste of resources and Irish taxpayers’ money, and it must stop.”

ENDS