Rose Conway Walsh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom comhbhrón a dhéanamh le muintir Dhún na nGall, Ghaoth Dobhair agus an Fháil Charraig ar a tharla oíche Domhnaigh. I pass on my and Sinn Féin's sincerest condolences to the families and friends of the four young men tragically killed near Magheroarty on Sunday night. They were Shaun Harkin, Mícheal Roarty, John Harley and Daniel Scott. May they rest in peace. The sudden loss of so many young lives has impacted on many people, young and old. As someone who lives in Erris in a Gaeltacht area, I am only too aware of the devastating impact such tragedies have on a tight-knit community.

I also want to raise the issue of VAT increases that will be applied to food supplements from March. There has been little or no consultation with the affected retailers. Although Revenue has stated that all products with 0% VAT are undergoing review, this increase has come as a bolt out of the blue. Last week at the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach, the chair of the Revenue Commissioners referred to an expert report commissioned on the matter. This report should be published and an increase in VAT should be suspended until there is clarity surrounding the decision-making process.

The issue should also be covered in the tax strategy papers later this year. It now appears that the VAT charge on these products will be more than that levied on fast food. I have been lobbied by an awful lot of different groups on this issue. Many of the people who take these supplements are over the age of 55 and, therefore, the increase will have a greater impact on them. Increasing the cost of supplements and things that are essential to their good health at such a rate will put those people in further financial hardship. I ask that the VAT rate be suspended until this matter has been examined properly.