Aughinish owes €10m in duties

AUGHINISH Alumina must repay up to €10 million to the revenue commissioners because they were illegally exempted from paying excise duty on heavy fuel oil over the past 19 years.

The tax break was an illegal State aid to the west Limerick based plant, according to the European Commission.

However, the decision is bound to create outrage as the government was allowed to exempt the company from paying the duty under a decision made by the EU member state governments on foot of a commission proposal, but was warned it might be against the State aid rules.