Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

Right now, lawyers are being paid large amounts of money, paid for by the public, arguing in the European Court of Justice, incredibly, that the public should not receive €13.1 billion from one of the richest and largest corporations in the world. If the court finds against the Irish Government and the money is paid, that €13.1 billion could be used to build 70,000 homes. It could be used to provide extra hospitals or to increase the numbers of beds. It could be used to fund a just and rapid transition to a zero carbon economy. Instead, the State and the Government is using public money to say this money should stay with Apple and it should stay on Apple's cash pile, which already sits at more than $200 billion. Does this not illustrate that the entire purpose of the economic policy of this Government is not to serve the interests of ordinary people but instead is to serve the interests of rich corporations?

See this speech in context