Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

With all the scandals concerning money for the children's hospital and all the waste on projects and the responses that have been given, the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, have made a major attack on health shops with the imposition of the 23% VAT rate on health supplements, including vitamins, which many people need to keep them alive while they wait years and years for treatment. One of the products treats macular degeneration. My colleagues are sending busloads of people to the North for eye surgery. Is the Government going to review the VAT rate? It is a penal rate to apply to small and fledgling businesses that are an important part of the fabric of small and big towns in rural areas. People like health shops and they give good advice and are very helpful to their customers. They have a good relationship with their customers. The Taoiseach had the cheek one day to refer to health products as snake oil. There are enough snakes going around without focusing on health food products. The situation is very serious. The Taoiseach is whispering to the Tánaiste and laughing. Is the Government going to review the savage blow of a 23% VAT rate on small business people and their products?

See this speech in context