John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The issue of VAT on food supplements was raised yesterday in the House. I understood that food supplements were classified under an EU directive. Suddenly we have now moved to this imposition of a 23% VAT rate on these goods. This will cause serious problems for small shops dotted around the country, some of which are located in the high streets of our towns and villages, and to their customers. It will add a huge cost to them in the middle of all the Brexit discussion. Some of their supplements come in from the UK. With regard to the imposition of a 23% VAT rate and the EU declaring that these supplements are food items, is there any way this could be postponed until Revenue consults the stakeholders?