30/08/2016 BBC Newsline

The Republic's cabinet will meet tomorrow to discuss

its controversial tax arrangements with the technology giant Apple.

Earlier today the European Commission said the Irish government

had enabled Apple to enjoy huge tax benefits which it found to be

illegal and it ordered the firm to pay up to thirteen billion Euro

Our Economics and Business Editor John Campbell reports.

Apple is one of the world's best loved France. It sold its billion

Earth iPhone earlier this year, but it is billions of disputed tax which

has been at the centre of its clash with the European Commission and

today the commission ruled that Ireland had given Apple a special

deal which was a giant illegal subsidy. Here is what the commission

said it was going on... Apple set up a company in Ireland and all profits

from this European operations were booked by that company and an

arrangement with the Irish tax authorities meant that Apple could

send the vast majority of those profits away from Ireland to a

so-called head office. A loophole in Irish law meant this

head office did not have to pay tax anywhere in the world and as a

result, Apple had an effective corporate tax rate of less than 1%.

The effective tax rate in 2011 was 0.05%. To put that in perspective,

it means that for every million euro in profits, it paid just 500 euros

in taxes. The Irish government is aghast at this decision which paints

the country as a tax haven. It believes the commission is acting

far beyond its remit. I disagree with that. I think it is very

tenuous grounds. The Irish authorities at the time in 2007 did

nothing improper or illegal and there is a government meeting in the

morning and I will be proposing that the Irish government appealed this

decision. Apple has reacted furiously, the firm 's Chief

Executive says that the European Commission has attempted to rewrite

their history in Europe and ignore the Irish tax laws and then the

international tax system. Apple employs thousands of people in court

and the country's dilemma was reflected on the streets today. They

can pull up and leave. That would be terrible. It is great that there are

5000 jobs in Cork. We are delighted with that. They would not pull out

if they had to pay the money. We cannot afford to lose Apple.

Ireland's appeal will be a slow process, it is likely to be at least

five years before this case is closed once and for all.

Earlier our Dublin correspondent Shane Harrison told me why the Irish

government was appealing the Commission's decision

when it could be 13 billion Euro better off.

Just to put that figure in context, 13 billion euros, ?11 billion, it is

the equivalent of the Irish annual health budgets, so why is the

government appealing? People are wondering, it is a bit like a

lottery winner who has won the lottery but is thinking about

tearing up the ticket before claiming the prize. A lot of the

answer has to do with reputation, the Irish government has come in for

criticism because it has been alleged that it is a tax haven and

the Irish government says that is not the case. It has closed a number

of loopholes and it is saying that it profoundly disagrees with the

findings. It says it gave no favourable deal to Apple and this

ruling is not about corporation tax, it is nothing to do with the low

corporation tax rate and the Irish government also says it is not its

job to collect tax in other European countries from Apple. For all of

those reasons, but mainly to do with its reputation, Ireland is not keen

to take that money at this stage. Apple is an american

company and tonight President Obama's Press Secretary

described the European Commission's It could be treated in the US tax

system as a current tax payment that would allow, essentially, Apple to

deduct that EU tax payment from their taxes. That would not be fair

to US taxpayers. Searches carried out by the police

in Larne today are linked to an investigation into terrorist

activity which resulted in the arrest of a 30 year

old member of the armed forces Police have sealed off this Town

Park area in Larne and it is understood a bomb disposal experts

are investigating a wooded area. The PSNI have confirmed that they are

also searching an area of Iceland next to Larne football club next to

Inver Road which is linked to an investigation into republican

terrorism. It is linked to the arrest of a 30-year-old member of

the Armed Forces, he has been named as Ciaran Maxwell, a Royal Marine.

He has been questioned about dissident terrorist activity and is

in custody. Although this area is more likely to be linked to the

loyalist community, the arrest of the Royal Marine is thought to be

connected to the discovery of two major arms dumps nearby. The first

was in this park in March, followed by another in May. The searches are

said to have caused a lot of local disruption. This is obviously the

local park where people go for walks, exercising dogs and children

and young families and I am aware that there have been a number of

homes evacuated, constituents in my area with young families and a local

business has been forced to close due to these ongoing searches.

Meanwhile a 27-year-old man from the Larne area has been arrested. He is

being questioned about dissident republican activity.

Notes and documents have been discovered by Gardai in the house

in County Cavan where five members of the same family were found dead

The bodies of Clodagh and Alan Hawe were discovered along with those

of their three sons in their home at Barconey outside

Our reporter, Catherine Morrison reports:

In the tranquil Cavan countryside a scene of unimaginable horror, five

members of the same family die in an apparent murder suicide. The bodies

of Alan Hawe pictured here with his three sons Liam, Niall and Ryan and

his wife Clodagh were discovered yesterday in their home near

Ballyjamesduff. Today the forensic investigation continues, Gardai

tried to answer two questions, Ohio and why this family died. It is

understood notes were left on the door of the property and inside, all

now part of this enquiry. The tragedy has left everyone struggling

to find words of comfort. I was speaking to the priest yesterday

evening and when I was speaking to him, he was still in a state of

shock himself. He told me that anyone he met, they were just numb

by this extraordinary and unprecedented event. It was so

shocking, because they were so well known in the community. Absolutely

shocked. Have you spoken to other neighbours? Everyone is in the same

situation. Those who knew the family and those who do not and it is not

just here, it is for miles around. We are all just speechless. Alan

Hawe was the deputy principal at Castlerahan National School. Pupils

were due back today after the summer holidays, instead educational

psychologists have been advising teachers on how best to help their

pupils deal with this tragedy. No one from the school wanted to speak

on camera but in a statement, the principal described Alan Hawe as a

valued member of school staff and she said that the three boys were

wonderful children who would be greatly missed by all who knew them.

Gardai are expected to remain at the scene for some time.

The Lord Mayor of Belfast says he will meet members of the Jewish

community and the police following an attack on Jewish graves

The police are treating it as a hate crime.

Lord Mayor of Belfast Brian Kingston surveys the damage for himself. 13

graves in the Jewish part of the cemetery were targeted on Friday

afternoon. This does not represent the modern Belfast. Those

responsible need to catch themselves on. All of us obviously take great

pride and solace in visiting the graves of family members and our

forebears and none of us would like to have a situation where those

graves are vandalised and desecrated. The Lord Mayor says he

plans to meet with community representatives and the PSNI. For

some local people today, it was important for them to stand up to

those behind the attack. For evil to prevail, it takes good men to say

nothing and that is why I am here today. I have lived in the area for

20 years and have close bonds with the Jewish community and my heart is

broken for them. I want to see for myself what was done here on Friday

and it was not in my name. The Lord Maher says he is determined to bring

to justice those behind the attacks on Friday.

The senior Irish Olympic official, Pat Hickey, is now under

He was released from jail in Rio de Janeiro earlier today

The president of the Irish Olympic Council was arrested nearly

a fortnight ago in a police investigation into the alleged

illegal sale of tickets for the Olympic Games.

Football and in this evening's League Cup matches Championship side

Annagh United were shock 3-2 winners against Glentoran.

It's a result which brings more pressure on the tenure of Glentoran

Holders Cliftonville beat Lisburn Distillery 11-1

and there were also wins for Linfield and Crusaders.

All the results are on the BBC sports website.

In the Airtricity League Derry City beat Shamrock Rovers one nil

and are now just two points off the top of table in third place.

Here is the weather forecast with Cecilia Daly.

Good evening. It has been another warm day, temperatures have been

into the low 20s, we do have some rain coming in from the western

night, just a few hours of work whether in most places, clearing the

East Coast in the early hours, many places dry by the end of the night

and still miles. Not too breezy, but we changed the wind direction, it

will move into the West for tomorrow, that will mean a few

showers especially in the north and west and it will feel cooler and

sunshine, the best of that over Belfast and the south-east. There is

the cloud and rain tonight, it moves into the East, towards the London

area but the rain will those allowed leaving an area of cloud, lots of

dry weather with sunshine behind it, it showers moving in across Scotland

and just the odd shower for the Republic of Ireland where it should

be a largely fine afternoon. A few showers for Northern Ireland mainly

in the north and west, but a lot of the day will be dry. Temperatures

will reach 18 or 19 degrees, it will feel pleasant, not as warm as today.

Thursday is the 1st of September, and nice morning, do what you have

to do outdoors in the morning because the afternoon will turn

cloudy and breezy with some rain coming from time to time. Moving

further towards the weekend, it is looking more unsettled, with some

rain around but it will not rain all the time.

Our next BBC Newsline is at six twenty five in the morning

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