Tributes to mum who fought on for Stardust victims
A BEREAVED mother who dedicated her life to campaigning for justice after the Stardust disaster has been described as a hero.
Christine Keegan, who died on Tuesday, campaigned for decades for those killed in the 1981 Valentine’s Day fire. Three people from Northern Ireland were among the 48 victims.
Mrs Keegan’s two daughters, Mary (19) and Martina (16) were killed in the blaze. Another daughter, Antoinette, survived the inferno.
Antoinette and Christine became campaigners for justice and were heavily involved in the Stardust Victims Committee.
Ireland’s Attorney General Seamus Woulfe said in September he was ordering a fresh inquest into the blaze at the Stardust nightclub in Artane in Dublin’s Northside.
The decision came following a renewed campaign by families and survivors.
A statement posted on the Justice for Stardust 48 Twitter page said: “It is with deep sadness that we have to the announce the passing of Christine.
“Our thoughts are with Antoinette and all the Keegan family. Christine was an amazing woman, our hero, our fighter for justice for our loved ones.
“She is now at rest with John, Mary and Martina.”
Inquiries into the fire showed that some escape routes from the dance hall were blocked because emergency doors were locked by chains.
Concerns have also been raised about the investigation of the scene, which allowed politicians and media representatives to walk through the building just days later.
Families and survivors have been lobbying the Irish Government for years in order to obtain a fresh inquiry.
Sinn Fein president Mary Lou Mcdonald was among those paying tribute to the long-time campaigner. She described Ms Keegan as “a wonderful mother”, adding: “She sought justice and justice must be served.”
Belfast solicitor Darragh Mackin, who is acting for the families, said: “Truly devastating. Christine Keegan was a real-life legendwhonevergaveupinher quest for truth and justice for the Stardust.”
APPLE and the Irish Republic have won their appeal against the European Commission over a €13bn (£11.6bn) tax bill.
The General Court in Luxembourg annulled the decision taken by the commission over Irish tax rulings in favour of the tech giant.
The commission previously said the firm paid an effective corporate tax rate of just 1% on profits from sales across the EU by routing them through a firm based in the Republic. The commission said this constituted illegal aid given to Apple by Ireland.
But in its judgment the General Court stated that the commission was “wrong” to declare that Apple Sales International (ASI) and Apple Operations Europe (AOE) had been granted a selective economic advantage and, by extension, state aid.
The court ruled that the commission did not succeed in showing to the “requisite legal standard” that there was an advantage.
In its ruling, it said: “Although the General Court regrets the incomplete and occasionally inconsistent nature of the contested tax rulings, the defects identified by the Commission are not, in themselves, sufficient to prove the existence of an advantage.”
The Commission can appeal against the General Court’s decision to the European Court of Justice. The appeal must be made within the next two months and 10 days.
The €13.1bn is being held in an escrow account, meaning the proceeds cannot be released until there has been a final determination in the European courts over the validity of the commisclear sion’s decision.
The Irish open economy is based on low corporate taxation and other incentives to attract multinationals.
In Apple’s case, it was significantly below the standard 12.5% imposed on corporations. Apple said that from 2003 to 2014, it paid $577m (€504.6m) in tax on profit generated in the country, in line with Irish tax laws.
The Irish Government opposes any effort to force it to change its taxation practices, which have tempted some of the world’s leading financial and technology firms to set up base in Dublin.
Ireland’s Department of Finance said it welcomed the judgment: “Ireland has always been that there was no special treatment provided to the two Apple companies — ASI and AOE. The correct amount of Irish tax was charged taxation in line with normal Irish taxation rules. Ireland appealed the commission decision on the basis that Ireland granted no state aid, and the decision today from the court supports that view.”
Labour finance spokesman Ged Nash called for new tax rules for multinational corporations. He said: “While the Commission may appeal the judgment, the real issue now is for European governments to agree a decisive step forward to reform the global system for taxing multinationals, especially those in the digital sector that can simply choose where in the world to locate their profit-making intellectual property rights.”
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said the Government has “thrown away” €13bn which is “desperately needed in the face of the Covid crisis”. He said: “The Irish Government should hang their heads in shame for supporting Apple in their appeal and using taxpayers’ money to help prevent Ireland