Dublin, May 22 (EFE).- The head of Ireland's Industrial Development Agency denied Wednesday that Dublin gave Apple Inc. a much-reduced tax rate. Ireland does not negotiate tax rates with individual companies, IDA director Barry O'Leary said in an interview with public broadcaster RTE. While the Irish corporation tax rate is 12.5 percent, a U.S. Senate probe determined that Apple paid tax of just 2 percent on overseas income of $74 billion. Ireland permits companies to incorporate in the Emerald Isle without becoming tax resident.

Portugal's embattled Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho, fiercely criticised for his austerity policies, wants nothing more than to resign from his job, the premier's father said in an interview published on Wednesday. "He wants one thing: to be done with it all. And the family will celebrate when he will be free from all of it," 86-year-old Antonio Passos Coelho was quoted as telling Portuguese daily "i". In the interview, he said he had encouraged his son to become involved in politics but had warned him against taking the helm of the government.

WASHINGTON - Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes ticked up last month to the highest level in three and a half years, helped by a jump in the number of houses for sale. The National Association of Realtors said Wednesday that sales rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.97 million, up from 4.94 million in March. Home sales have risen 9.7 per cent in the past 12 months. Still, sales have changed little since November. The supply of available homes remains tight and many would-be buyers aren't able to get loans.

PARIS (Reuters) - Societe Generale <SOGN.PA> said on Wednesday that the board of its Russian unit, Rosbank, was moving to dismiss its chief executive, Vladimir Golubkov, who was arrested on bribery charges last week. SocGen also said in a statement released as its annual shareholder meeting began that it had hired accounting firm Deloitte to "perform additional diligence and necessary investigations". (Reporting by Christian Plumb; Editing by James Regan)