Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

The Tourism Review Group, the tourism implementation group, the Tourism Forum, the Irish Hotels Federation and various tourism bodies have looked for this tax to be removed on the understanding that it would increase the number of passengers coming into the country. That is what the airlines are saying they would be able to do.

I am quite happy to continue my discussions with the Minister for Finance but I would need to know from Ryanair what we will get in return. What will we get by way of additional passengers? What will Ryanair be able to do by way of additional routes into Ireland or making a commitment that routes into Ireland will not be stopped? That would give me the basis for an argument, in the context of the budget, with the Minister for Finance.

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