IRELAND - The Apple Wars

"European Union: Apple owes Ireland nearly $15 billion in back taxes" PBS NewsHour 8/30/2016

This is also a Greed File.

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  After uncovering an illegal deal, the European Union ruled that Apple pay over $14.5 billion in back taxes to Ireland.  The EU's antitrust regulator found that the country and the tech giant had made an agreement that allowed Apple to pay less than 1 percent in corporate tax for over a decade.  Apple plans to appeal the decision.  Hari Sreenivasan speaks with EU Commissioner Margrethe Vestager.

HARI SREENIVASAN (NewsHour):  The European Commission ruled today that Ireland must collect $14.5 billion in back taxes from Apple.  The announcement fueled new tensions between the U.S. and Europe over the role of multinational corporations, how they are taxed, and whether it should be considered a subsidy.

The antitrust regulator for the EU said Ireland had given Apple a sweetheart tax deal for well over a decade, with special laws that effectively allowed Apple to pay less than 1 percent corporate tax.  The EU accused Apple of setting up two companies in Ireland with a head office that only exists on paper.  The profits from European stores all go to the Ireland head office and are essentially untaxed.

Apple said it would appeal the decision and denied the characterization.  In a statement, the company's chief executive, Tim Cook, said the European Commission is trying to — quote — “rewrite Apple's history in Europe, ignore Ireland's tax laws and upend the international tax system in the process.”  The company has more than $200 billion in cash.

I spoke with Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, who announced the decision.

Ms.  Vestager, thanks for joining us.

First off, what gave Apple an edge in Ireland that was unfair in the eyes of the EU?

MARGRETHE VESTAGER, European Commission:  Well, we have a long longstanding prohibition of state aid, which means benefits, advantages to a selected company.

And that may come in any form, as a piece of land, a favorable loan, a grant or a tax benefit.  And, of course, any member state can have their own tax legislation.  We would never question that.  But the thing is that you cannot give a specific company a benefit or an advantage which is not open to other companies.

HARI SREENIVASAN:  Is there evidence that this was specific to Apple and not to all the other companies that are doing business in Ireland?

MARGRETHE VESTAGER:  Yes, it is.

This arrangement is due to two things which are none of our concern, how Apple is organized and the Irish tax legislation.  But the thing that is specific is two tax rulings — are two tax rulings that are directed specifically to Apple.

And tax rulings are, by nature, specific because they are directed from the government or from the authorities to a specific company.  And this is only for them.  It is not for other companies.

EUROPE - Signs of Economic Turnaround, Ireland

"Local Businesses Help Refresh Irish Economy After Global Recession" PBS Newshour 3/25/2013

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JUDY WOODRUFF (Newshour):  And to the economy of another European nation, Ireland.

Good times turned sour during the worldwide financial crisis.  But now there are signs of a turnaround driven by locally grown businesses.

Ray Suarez reports from Dublin.

RAY SUAREZ (Newshour):  For 15 years, Western Europe had few economies like Ireland's.  From the early '90s to 2008, the economy grew at breakneck speed.

When the global recession hit, the bubble burst.  The Celtic Tiger was declawed.  Unemployment shot up.  Countless for-sale and for-rent signs sprouted even on Dublin's most desirable streets.  Construction projects just stopped.  The workers were sent home, the carcasses of buildings left to sit for years, maybe never to be finished.

Talk to the Irish today about what happened, and you get a mixture of wonder, sadness, and regret.

GARETH OWEN, Ireland:  It was a little bit unsustainable.  Maybe we were living in kind of cuckoo land a little bit.

RAY SUAREZ:  From a working mother.

NICOLE HOLLEY, Ireland:  I only go out and buy something when I really need it, instead of seeing something and impulse buying.  Don't do that anymore.

RAY SUAREZ:  From a trade union leader.

DAVID BEGG, Irish Congress of Trade Unions:  We have had an incredibly severe retrenchment of the Irish economy over the last five years or so, such that we have lost just short of a fifth of our total economic size.

RAY SUAREZ:  From an accountant.

CARROLL TURNDOWN, Ireland:  A lot of the kids have emigrated now.  We have lost a lot of highly skilled young people, and that's as a result of the downturn.

RAY SUAREZ:  And from a high-tech executive.

KARL FLANNERY, Storm Technology LTD:  And people were becoming -- or felt they were much wealthier than they were in reality.  So there was a lot of investment in property particularly in the Irish economy.  And I think now, when we look back on that, we look at -- that looks like a huge waste of money, which it was.

NORTHERN IRELAND - Religious Conflict

A reminder, religion is NOT all good, especially by fanatics that believe their religious beliefs are the ONLY true belief (aka intolerance). This applies to Northern Ireland and Fundamentalist Muslims (Taliban, Iran, etc).

Also note that one of the attitudes displayed in this video is people are 'different' just because of their religion. IMHO this is saying 'they' are not people.

"Peace in Northern Ireland, But Religious Divide Remains" PBS Newshour 7/11/2012

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SUMMARY: Protesters have been out on the streets of Belfast in recent days in advance of Thursday's annual parade honoring Protestant King William's victory over his Catholic rival in 1690. Special correspondent Kira Kay reports on the ongoing religious tension -- 14 years after Ireland's sectarian conflict formally ended.

JUDY WOODRUFF (Newshour): Protesters have been out on the street in Belfast for the past two days in advance of an annual parade tomorrow. NewsHour special correspondent Kira Kay looks at the ongoing religious tensions 14 years after Ireland's sectarian conflict formally ended.

KIRA KAY: It's a compelling sight: the parades that wind their way down the Shankill Road in the heart of Belfast's Protestant community.

This parade is one of the first of the so-called marching season, when during the summer months, Protestant Northern Ireland residents loyal to the United Kingdom commemorate a series of historic moments. The largest takes place tomorrow, July 12, honoring Protestant King William's victory over his Catholic rival in 1690.

RELIGION - Rift Grows Over Priest Abuse

"Rift Grows Between Ireland, Vatican Over Priest Abuse Allegations" PBS Newshour 7/26/2011

Excerpt from transcript

RAY SUAREZ (Newshour): We saw that just small excerpt of what was a scathing statement from the prime minister in parliament, then echoed by the attorney general, the minister for children.

Does this represent a change in the way Ireland regards its relationship with the Roman Catholic Church?

RICHARD DOWNES, RTE: I think, if it does, it's a change that has been a very long time in coming.

This whole episode, this whole series of episodes started about 20, 25 years ago with a number of books, and then a television series on our own television station exposing the cruelty and the torture of children that went on in a number of institutions.

Up until about 10, 15 years ago, a number of people, including a number of the clerics involved, they were kind of able to say, look, this is an isolated thing, it's a thing in the past. But as time has gone on, it has become clear and abundantly clear that such was the power of the Catholic Church in Ireland that they were able to -- that a number of people or, in particular, sick individuals, you could say, within that institution were able to continue the abuse right up until very recently, and, according to the Cloyne report, up until very recent times.

But now nobody can be in any doubt. The number of reports, the number of investigations has been so extensive, that, you know, it would be a fool who would -- who would disagree with them and try to play them down.

So, yes, it is. It's a watershed. But there are still many, many other investigations to happen. This is just one diocese in one corner of Ireland. Donegal has to happen. There's also talk of an inquiry into the Diocese of Galway. So, yes, we're going to have more of these reports.