Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has announced that he will make an attempt in the Dáil next week to abolish the €10 travel tax.
Opening his party’s national conference in Killarney tonight, Mr Kenny said that the tax had done severe damage to a vital job-intensive industry.
“We are here tonight in Killarney, the home of Irish tourism. A town that has witnessed the destruction of hundreds of jobs because of the downturn is Irish tourism over the last two years.
“It is fitting therefore that I announce from here that next week Fine Gael will bring a motion to the Dáil that calls for the immediate abolition of the €10 travel tax on tourists that has done such damage to this vital job-intensive industry,” said Mr Kenny.
He added that Ireland as an island nation was dependant on cost-competitive airline access to the country as it was is vital for every major industry, and particularly tourism.
”Nothing better sums up this Government’s short-sighted, self-defeating approach to fixing the economy than Brian Lenihan’s imposition of the travel tax in 2008, just as the economy was already heading into recession.
”A tax hike that has netted only €100 million for the Government has, according to industry analysis, resulted in lost tourism revenues to the entire country of €480 million, and directly destroyed 3,000 jobs,” he said.
Mr Kenny added that the tourism tax could be abolished next week and that would help the industry to stay afloat for another year and save and create thousands of jobs. “It just needs a Government that will listen. A competent Government that will put jobs at the very top of its priorities. A Fine Gael Government,” he said.