THE €10 Air Travel Tax is to be reconsidered in the upcoming budget on the back of a debate called by Kieran O’Donnell TD. The deputy said he has secured a commitment from the government to reconsider the tax and its implications for Shannon Airport. “This is a very serious issue for Limerick and the Mid-West.
“I have consistently called for this destructive and short-sighted tax to be removed, and I repeated this call to Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan and Mary Hanafin, Minister for Tourism, Culture & Sport in the Dail during this debate,” said the deputy.
He added jobs, not taxes, were needed and that Shannon Airport needs to be in as competitive a position as possible.
“This year alone, Shannon will see a reduction in its passenger numbers of almost 30% or 800,000 passengers to just two million.
“The airport board announced that they have set a target of 2.5 million passengers by 2015. Removal of the travel tax will greatly assist in meeting this target”.
In reply, Minister Lenihan said the issue would be considered in the context of the forthcoming budget. “The penny seems to be finally dropping with the minister that we must make it as attractive as possible for people to visit here. That means keeping the cost of getting to and from Shannon as low as possible,” continued O’Donnell. “In that context, the commitment to reconsider the tax is potentially very significant for Limerick and the Mid-West”.
