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Departmental Meetings

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 May 2013

Tuesday, 28 May 2013

Questions (158, 184)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

158. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance if he or anyone in his Department during this Administration or during the previous Administration held meetings with representatives of Apple. [25297/13]

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Pearse Doherty

Question:

184. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance if any officials from his Department or from the Revenue Commissioners ever met with the tax advisers to Apple; and if any such meetings were facilitated by his Department. [25551/13]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 158 and 184 together.

Since the formation of this Government, there have been no meetings between me or officials in the Fiscal Policy Division of my Department and the company referred to in the question on taxation matters. Nor have there been meetings between me or officials in the Fiscal Policy Division of my Department and tax advisers acting in their capacity as advisers to said company.

The Secretary General of my Department met with the Irish Managing Director of the company referred to on February 27th 2012 to discuss the broad technology sector and how best to use IT in running an organisation. As a result of that discussion, it was arranged that the Regional Sales Director for North Europe would have a follow-up meeting with the Secretary General on May 22nd 2012. No discussion of Ireland’s or Apple’s tax situation took place at either meeting.

Based on the information available to me in the timeframe for replying to this question, including conversations with current and former staff in the Department of Finance and searches of electronic files held in the Fiscal Policy Division and in my office back to May 2008 for the company name, I am not currently aware of any other meetings between officials in my Department and the company, or representatives of the company, referred to in the question in relation to taxation matters. Given the timeframe in question spans more than 30 years, it is not possible to be definitive in this regard.

I should also inform the Deputy that since the publication of the Memorandum to Members of the United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations on 21 May 2013, officials in my Department have been in telephone contact with the company to outline the Department of Finance position on the material contained in that Report in line with the statements that I made publicly last week on the matter. I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that meetings with the representatives of, and tax advisors to, multinational corporations take place in the normal course of engagement between Revenue and taxpayers, without the facilitation of my Department or the knowledge of the Minister in charge at the time.

Questions Nos. 159 and 160 answered with Question No. 146.
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