Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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217. To ask the Minister for Finance the contact he has had with fellow EU Heads of Government regarding a case (details supplied). [1816/17]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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On 30 August 2016, it was announced that the Commission had issued a negative decision in the Apple State Aid case. 

The Government remains of the view that there was no breach of State Aid rules in this case and that the legislative provisions were correctly applied.  By appealing the Decision the Government is taking the necessary course of action to vigorously defend the Irish position. 

Member States have legal standing to intervene in all cases that go before the European courts and do so from time-to-time if it is considered that the case raises points of relevance for their country.

It is the view of the Government that our appeal is necessary to defend the integrity of our tax system; to provide tax certainty to business; and to challenge the encroachment of EU state aid rules into the sovereign Member State competence of taxation. 

I have updated fellow EU Finance Ministers on the case from an Irish perspective.

If other Member States found that the issues we are raising are of relevance for their tax system, I would welcome their support for the Irish appeal.