Gilmore: Apple tax avoidance report not an issue for Irish govt

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore says a US senate report which found Apple used Ireland to avoid paying tens of billions of euro in tax is not an issue for the government.

Gilmore says the matter relates to international agreements and is nothing to do with the Irish Taxation system.

He was responding to questions after a US Senate committee report found Apple exploited a loophole between Ireland and the US to avoid paying tax on one of its Irish subsidiaries for more than five years.

He said he wants to see the issue of tax loopholes addressed by having robust international agreements - but said it has nothing to do with us.

"They are not issues that arise from the Irish taxation system. They are issues that arise from the taxation system in other jurisdictions.

"That's an issue that has to be addressed in those jurisdictions.

"Seeing as there is an international dimension to this, it needs to be tackled by having robust international agreements. Ireland is very much in favour of that."

The CEO of Apple Tim Cook is appearing before a US Senate hearing today, where he will face questions on the issue.

Meanwhile, in quotes published by the Wall Street Journal, a spokesperson for the Department of Finance added that Ireland 'doesn't do special tax rate deals".

"I cannot comment on the tax affairs of individual companies. To do so would breach taxpayer confidentiality and would be against the law. But let me be clear: Ireland doesn't do special tax rate deals with companies," the spokesperson said.

"We don't have a special extra low corporation tax rate for multinational companies. Ireland's tax system is statute based so there is no possibility of individual special tax rate deals for companies."