Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

On a couple of occasions, the Government has been embarrassed by making statements in respect of which it is later contradicted by the European Commission. It strikes me that the same may have happened this morning on the confidentiality of the Commission's ruling. The Taoiseach, in response to Deputy Boyd Barrett, said that the document was in the ownership of the European Commission and that it was a matter for the Commission to decide when to publish it in whatever form. The Commissioner said that if it was up to her, the non-confidential version would have been published yesterday and that right now the ball is basically in the hands of Apple and Ireland. She said she hoped that Apple and Ireland would be as open and co-operative as possible. Was the Taoiseach telling the truth and being accurate this morning or was the Commissioner being accurate? Who has the power to publish and will the Government agree to waive confidentiality to allow the decision to be published in order that all the things the Government is claiming about it can be verified by Deputies and the public at large?

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