Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

142. To ask the Minister for Finance the implications of the European Commission's recent ruling that a company (details supplied) has to pay €250 million to Luxembourg having received illegal tax benefits from Luxembourg, in terms of state aid from Ireland to a company in view of its taxation arrangements with the State and the parallels between Luxembourg and Ireland regarding companies. [48850/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The European Commission recently concluded that a tax ruling given by Luxembourg to Amazon constituted an illegal State aid amounting to approximately €250 million. This announcement is part of a wider investigation by the European Commission encompassing tax rulings in all 28 Member States which has been ongoing since 2014.

As the final Commission Decision has not yet been published, it is not possible to provide any further comment in this regard.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

143. To ask the Minister for Finance if the EU Commission has informally or formally requested information on Irish tax schemes for the purposes of state aid rules or specific tax relationships with companies; the details of such requests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48851/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The European Commission has been gathering information from all 28 EU Member States on tax rulings since 2014 and it has examined over 1,000 rulings across EU Member States.

I understand that the European Commission issues information requests to Member States on an ongoing basis.

Ireland has always cooperated with such requests and will continue to do so. It is not appropriate for me to comment on the nature of any such requests, as such enquiries are confidential between Ireland and the Commission.

The Commission Decision in respect of Apple was published in August 2016. Aside from this, no other State aid cases have been opened against Ireland. The Government disagrees profoundly with the Commission’s State aid analysis in that case and have lodged annulment proceedings in the General Court of the European Union.