The decision was taken after a half-hour cabinet meeting that defused the danger of a split with independent ministers.
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A government spokesperson said that a motion will be presented before the Dail (Parliament) on Wednesday, seeking an endorsement of the Cabinet’s decision.
Finance Minister Michael Noonan has previously said the Irish government will appeal the ruling.
“It is total political crap”, Cook told the Irish Independent.
Questions about what Apple will do with its massive pile of cash, estimated to be more than US$200 billion, which is stashed outside the USA, have arisen in the wake of the European Union order that the company pay €13 billion (A$19.73 billion) in back taxes to Ireland.
The Irish Government is at odds over whether to accept the European Commission’s recommendation that Apple pay $13 billion (£11bn) in back taxes to it. Still, one of those politicians, John Halligan, said on Thursday that the issue shouldn’t destabilize the government.
It meant that one subsidiary, Apple Sales International, paid a tax rate of just 1% in 2003, declining to 0.005% by 2014, the EC said.
Speaking this afternoon Deputy Doherty said: “During this morning’s interview, Tim Cook categorically denies that there was any special arrangement between his company and Ireland in relation to tax rates”.
The European Commission has ordered Ireland to claw back £11billion of back taxes, plus interest.
“Successive Irish governments have defended its relatively low 12.5% corporate tax rate despite often fierce criticism from other European governments”, the WSJ added. Companies based in the USA are subject to 35% corporate tax rate on global profits when they bring that money home, though they can also get tax credits for payments to foreign governments. Revenue authorities taxed the companies on the basis of their activities in Ireland, however, the EC says both companies should have been taxed by Ireland on the basis of their worldwide income.
Germany and Austria also favor the ruling, while Britain remains neutral, according to Reuters.
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Commissioner Margrethe Vestager insisting at a briefing in Brussels that the probe was based completely on facts which can be tested in the European courts.
