When he was Minister for Finance, the Taoiseach was criticised for note including tax breaks for the Docklands in his last Budget and Finance Bill. At the time he stated that there were issues that needed to be clarified in relation to EU competition rules.

When asked by the Cork Independent this week if a yes vote in the Lisbon Referendum would make tax breaks more likely for Cork’s Docklands the Taoiseach said that, “Whatever the response of government may be. If it included that sort of tax incentive area it is true that we require approval from the European Union. It’s important then that that maybe why people in Cork should say yes to the Lisbon Treaty”.

He added that the rules were in place to maintain a level playing field across the EU and that Ireland has always been able to meet such rules in the past, he added, “these are not insurmountable problems if we go that route”.

Foreign Minister Micheál Martin added that the Cork Docklands had already been aided to the EU’s regional aid maps which identify certain areas for special investment incentives. He added that the Cork Docklands forum, set up under previous Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has already had positive discussions with officials in Brussels about the potential of granting aid for the development of the Cork Docklands.

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