European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager has said she does not have any problem with Ireland’s 12.5% corporation rate.
Speaking with Irish Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee members in a hearing on competition policy, Ms Vestager said: "We have no problem with the 12.5% corporate tax rate in Ireland, but we want to be sure that tax rulings are not being used to grant selective advantages to companies through the backdoor”.
Her comments come in the wake of the European Commission ruling at the end of August that Ireland granted undue tax benefits of up to €13bn to Apple.
Ms Vestager also spoke about a range of topical competition issues, including corporate tax rulings, state aid for banks, the different cases against Google, and the recent record high €2.9 billion fine for a cartel of five truck producers.
The Commissioner said it was inconvenient to have to ask something back from someone that was given to them, but "this is something you have to live with".
On the Irish appeal to the Court of Justice over the Apple tax ruling, she said: "They will make the case and then we know."
