Dublin South West Sinn Féin TD, Seán Crowe, has hit out at the Government for appealing the European Commission’s ruling that Apple received illegal state aid from the Irish Government.

The ruling, which the Government with the support of Fianna Fáil and Labour will appeal, directed Apple to re-pay the Irish Government €13 billion plus interest.

Speaking in the Dáil during today’s debate, Deputy Crowe said:

“The majority of Irish tax paying citizens are absolutely fuming as they look on with disbelief at the Government’s antics and its ludicrous proposal to appeal a finding that could mean billions of Euros to the Irish exchequer.

“Parts of my constituency are some of the most deprived areas in this State. If a fraction of this tax take was invested into these disadvantaged communities, it would have a life changing affect for many children and their families.

“This disgraceful decision is being cloaked in words like the national interest or that it is somehow defending our reputation.

“Just like it was supposedly in our national and reputational interest to shift billions of private banking and speculator debts onto the shoulders of Irish taxpayers.

“Fianna Fáil, Labour, and Fine Gael, were unable or unwilling to stand up to the EU elites when Irish citizens were saddled with billions in banking debt. They refuse to stand up to the EU on water charges. They stood with the EU elites on crippling austerity measures.

“But now, by some miracle cure, they have found their voice and are proposing to take the European Commission to court.

“Not to protect homeowners from mortgage distress, not to protect our right to water, and certainly not to protect our right to retrospective bank recapitalisation.

“No, they are standing up to Europe in defence of hugely profitable multinational corporations that are not paying their fair share of taxes.

Deputy Crowe continued:

“Apple representatives, under oath, have themselves testified to a US Senate subcommittee that since the early 1990s, the Irish government calculated Apple’s taxable income in such a way as to produce an effective tax rate in the low single digits, which from 2003 has been 2% or less.

“While many are trying to muddy the waters, this is simply about our tax structure and tax justice.

“Fine Gael, Labour and Fianna Fáil need to drop their sham outrage.

“Ireland needs to recover the money that is owed.

“If we are to learn anything from this European Commission finding, it is that we need to set about creating a more transparent, fair and prosperous national and international tax system.”

ENDS