Pearse Doherty TD has expressed disappointment and anger at the decision by Apple not to attend upcoming Finance Committee hearings on the tax affairs of Apple in light of the EU’s State Aid ruling against Ireland.
Deputy Doherty said he is disappointed and angered by the decision of Mr Tim Cook not to attend the Committee.
“The EU’s State Aid ruling has created a huge debate in this country about our tax affairs and it is only right the Finance Committee of the Oireachtas carry out hearings on this issue. Mr Cook appeared before the US Senate hearings and it was his comments there that sparked much of the discussion and possibly even EU action in this case. For him to refuse to attend the Committee now is disrespectful to the Irish people.
“He has also not been shy in speaking to Irish media about the case and his views on why the EU is wrong in its findings so the excuse of an ongoing legal case is not valid. After all both the Irish government and EU Commission are involved in that appeal and I expect both to attend the Committee. One would have thought Mr Cook would be keen to put Apple’s view before the Irish people.
“I will push for the Finance Committee to write to Mr Cook requesting that he reconsider his position. I will also be pushing the Minister for Finance and the Taoiseach to make contact with Mr Cook and let him know that they believe an invitation by an Oireachtas Committee is important and that the government believes he should attend.
“When I first suggested, some years ago, inviting in multinational CEOs as part of a Committee investigation into Global Tax, I was voted down by Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour. This time, there was unanimous political support for the invitation. It is all the more disappointing therefore that Mr Cook has refused.”
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