Brian Keegan: Tax has become a four-letter word

The European Commission may have said ‘unlawful state aid’, but we only heard ‘€13 billion’

The Apple campus in Cork: the reaction to the tax ruling was dominated by the money Picture: Getty

Some commentators have suggested that the special sitting of the Dáil last week on appealing the European Commission’s decision in the Apple case achieved nothing. Nobody was persuaded, nobody changed their minds about the rights and wrongs of the Apple debate. After all, the cabinet’s decision had already been taken. Wasn’t this a mere rubber-stamping exercise?

I don’t think that assessment is correct. The cleverest aspect of Commissioner Margrethe Vestager’s statement that Apple ...