Introducing new tourist tax in Dublin would be ‘totally unproductive’, Minister claims

Patrick O’Donovan, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, said such a tax would harm the Dublin tourism industry as it would mean visitors would go elsewhere.

The minister was reacting to reports that Dublin’s four local authorities are working together to seek a change in legislation so tourists could be charged extra fees to visit or stay in the city.

The report claimed this proposed “tourist tax” could be in place as early as September.

Speaking to RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, Minister O’Donovan said competitiveness would be impacted if the Dublin local authorities introduced a tax on “people going into their local area”.

Asked whether he would welcome a similar tax in his own constituency of Limerick, he said: “Well, no, certainly not. I don’t want to put a tax on anybody that wants to come to Limerick.

“The last thing we need to do is to be adding costs. Anyway, this would be a matter for the Minister for Finance because you can’t raise tax without Government approval and the drafting of legislation.”

The minister ...
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