Germany's Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble has said Ireland still must make some gesture on corporate tax to avail of a reduction in the interest rate it pays for the EU/IMF bailout.
Mr Schaeuble was speaking to reporters at the end of a two-day informal meeting of EU finance ministers in Budapest.
Mr Schauble said: ‘With Ireland, the rescue package conditions were agreed at the end of last year.
‘If Ireland wishes to change the conditions, which was an issue discussed at the meeting of the heads of government on 11 March, then Ireland must, in a similar way to Greece, make suggestions as to what it can do for its part.
‘If Ireland, for its part, doesn't want to make any changes, then there is no willingness on the side of the governments to make changes.’
He added: ‘It is an important step that we in Europe, also on the basis of the proposals of the German chancellor, try to establish a common approach to calculating corporation tax. It's a step in the right direction.’
Earlier, French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said she held ‘a good discussion’ on tax issues with the Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, last night.
‘We had a good discussion about the general taxation landscape and we agreed that we should be discussing that further, and there is willingness on both sides to discuss (the issue further),’she said.
Yesterday, Mr Noonan also spoke to Mr Schaeuble on the margins of the meeting.
The Government is continuing to resist pressure to raise Ireland's corporate tax rate in exchange for a reduction of Ireland's bailout interest rate.
Mr Noonan also hinted the rate could be reduced by around 100 basis points by June, based on an agreement in principle which had been reached with all eurozone member states at a summit on 11 March, if French and German concerns were addressed.
