€14.6 billion tax income, courtesy of Apple mega-corporation, could be used for Green New Deal – Green Party finance spokesperson Neasa Hourigan TD dithers
Exactly Right – from Paul Murphy TD :
“The verdict in the Apple Tax case is due tomorrow. The Irish government has already spent millions trying to NOT get this money from Apple. They shouldn’t waste any more money fighting for the billionaire’s right to dodge taxes. Green TDs shouldn’t just ‘query’ this – they should draw a line in the sand. This is €14.6bn that could be used on a Green New Deal to rebuild the economy with socialist policies.”
It should be noted that Catherine Martin TD, seeking the leadership of the Green Party, is on the record saying that female Green Party Oireachtas members (TD’s and Senators) should have got more slurps from the ministerial piggies’ trough. This works out as a nod and a wink to Ms Hourigan that promotion is possible. Careerist feminism in action. https://tomasoflatharta.wordpress.com/2020/07/08/most-fffggg-ministers-are-male-would-extra-green-party-females-at-the-top-table-improve-things/
The Green Party’s finance spokeswoman has said the Government should “look at the usefulness” of appealing an adverse finding in the €13 billion Apple tax case, if one is delivered this week.
A verdict on an appeal by the Republic and Apple in relation to the European Commission’s finding that Apple had a favourable tax deal with the State, and that it consequently owes €13 billion in back taxes, is due to be delivered on Wednesday.
It is widely expected that the verdict from the General Court of the European Union will be appealed again, no matter the outcome, by one of the losing parties – including the State, which has said no special deal existed and that the €13 billion is not owed to the Irish exchequer.
However, Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan has said the State should “look at what the ramifications of appealing it would be, and what kind of a message, what signal that’s sending, to both the market and in the context of the EU”.
The Irish Times suggests that a very weak “stumbling block” is going to be steamrolled by Green Party leader Éamon Ryan.
Finance portfolio
Ms Hourigan is still the Green Party finance spokeswoman as the party maintains such roles even when it is in Government. However, party leader Eamon Ryan has indicated he will reassign the portfolios soon, and it is expected that she will be moved to another position. Ms Hourigan was on the Green Party negotiating team for the programme for Government, but the Dublin Central TD campaigned against endorsing the programme, arguing that it did not do enough for housing and equality.
“The Green Party has had a long history of supporting tax justice and we would see that ensuring large corporations pay their fair share is actually part of climate justice too,” she said. “It’s something that is quite important to us because we see that larger picture.”
Her comments, while not made on behalf of the party, could signal a potential stumbling block for a Government decision to appeal the court’s finding, if an adverse judgment is made from the State’s perspective. While she is not seen as close to the party’s current leadership, a significant minority of the party’s membership did not vote in favour of the programme for Government. The Green Party has called in the past for concerted international responses on tax planning.
Tomás Ó Flatharta 
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