Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I would like to second Senator Diarmuid Wilson's amendment to the motion. I agree with the views of Senator Deirdre Clune on the contribution that Apple makes to the Irish economy, with more than 3,500 people employed in Cork. I think we in this Chamber should invite Apple chief executive, Tim Cook, to this House and ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, to outline the situation. As a former Minister of State with responsibility for trade, I led delegations to the United States to meet major corporations. Under no circumstances was an offer made on the tax rate except the 12.5% corporation tax rate. No such offer exists. It is totally untrue. The then IDA CEO was Mr. Padraic White, one of the finest chief executives ever in that position.

I negotiated the deal in which Heineken came to Cork and bought Murphys. It was a very difficult deal because at that stage inflation was at 17% to 18% and interest rates were such that there was a major difficulty in Cork. We could not offer Heineken anything less or more than 12.5%. When all the major companies came to Ireland, such as Google and Intel, which was negotiated by the then Minister, Mr. Des O'Malley, me as the Minister of State with responsibility for trade, and Padraic White, we did not offer them 2%. There was no such offer.