Sir, - What a bizarre notion. Will our emigrants now have to pay to revisit their homes and loved ones? The Celtic Tiger who could not or would not support them in the first place seeks to rub salt into the wounds by applying a further levy. (Exempting them would not solve the problem - it would just create another administrative layer which would dilute the take.)
Furthermore, this proposal opens the door for our main competitors to pillory us. Have we forgotten how competitive the marketplace is? Also, it's not much of an incentive to investors in the tourism business in Ireland.
It should never have been seriously considered, let alone allowed to enter the public arena. What a message to send to our customers. Imagine a retailer applying a further tax for customers just to enter the store!
Our poor Tiger seems to have quite a mean streak and maybe a few fleas.
I hope its just the think-tank bean-counters having a very "off" day. - Yours etc., W. J. O'Shea,
Ardmanagh, Schull, Co Cork.