Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will not rise to the Minister of State's bait but I want to correct the record, because I would not like people to get the wrong end of the stick. We accept that the Minister of State has gone as far as he is going and that is his prerogative. Let me make it clear that the threshold is being increased by 7,500%. The Minister of State should not try to twist it around to say that it was at €175 and that it is being brought down to €75. It is going up by 7,500%.

The Minister of State is saying that he is afraid about the double tax-back and is trying to protect the Chancellor of the Exchequer. I have heard many things in my time in this House but it is the first time that I have ever heard a Minister of State at the Department of Finance come into this House and say that all he is worried about are the takings of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The last Parliament that worried about that matter abolished itself in 1800. I do not think we will go back to do that now. The Minister of State should not worry about the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Let us worry about our own small, indigenous businesses around this country, not about the British coffers.

The Minister of State said that we cannot make different arrangements for the UK to those made for other countries. He might look at this legislation, which specifically identifies UK tourists as being different from those from every other country in the world. They have to comply with additional conditions, including having to provide certification that they have paid their VAT and duties in the UK before they can claim it here. I said at the outset that I support that provision. I am willing to leave that provision in, but I am not willing to have a situation where the Government puts in place a double system that penalises every other tourist across the world who had that entitlement up to now. It will crucify small, indigenous businesses the length and breadth of the country. We will be pressing the amendment.

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