Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

The 9% VAT rate introduced by the Minister for Finance in the jobs initiative will be maintained until at least the end of 2013. After that, I do not know what the position will be as it is a matter for Government. Lest I have speculated on the budget for 2013, I certainly will not speculate on the budget for 2014.

I concur fully with the Deputy on the important issue of heritage. Many people want to visit this country to see our castles and learn about our history. Although tourists tend to be divided roughly into categories, they include a specific group of sightseers and culture seekers who are known to spend most. Much of what we do is focused on this group. I am aware of the Heritage Council's estimate that every €1 invested in heritage delivers a return of €4.40 in tourism revenue, and while I do not wish to cast aspersions on the council, I am always sceptical of such calculations. In some ways, they are a form of Jack and the Beanstalk economics. If matters were that easy, we would spend €1 billion and get €4 billion back. I am often sceptical about the methodologies used to calculate returns on investment.

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