EU Competition Commissioner defends her Apple tax ruling
EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager has defended her finding that Ireland granted illegal state aid to Apple.
Vestager told the European Parliament at a debate on the ruling in Strasbourg: "If taxes are not being paid by some, then they have to be paid by others, and that is why it is not fair competition when some member states hand out selective tax benefits."
The commissioner noted that Apple had only paid 0.005% tax in 2014, meaning they handed over a mere €50 from every €1m profit made in Ireland.
MEPs overwhelmingly voiced their support for the finding, with a number praising Vestager's "courage" and "bravery".
Fine Gael's Seán Kelly and Brian Hayes were among the few MEPs criticising the decision, while Sinn Féin's Matt Carthy took aim at Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil for opting to appeal the ruling.
