Minister defends phasing out of 9% VAT rate 

Tourism Minister Catherine Martin said it was her experience in her engagement with Tourism Ireland within the UK and the US that 'people can’t wait to come to Ireland and our vaccination rate is a big attraction too'. Picture: Maxwells

The phasing out of a 9% VAT rate for hospitality and tourism businesses from next year will be offset by a “pent-up demand” from people looking to visit Ireland, the Tourism Minister has said.

Regarding the return to a rate of 13.5% from August of next year for those businesses, Catherine Martin said taxation was a matter for the Minister for Finance.