FG leader’s stance on passenger levy is vindicated by the evidence

IN his letter (April 5), Michael Job says Enda Kenny’s call to abolish the €10 air travel tax is “crude populism”.

He worries how the money lost will be recouped and says “there is no evidence to support his absurd claim that it is costing jobs and killing tourism”.

If Mr Job had done any research, he would know there is quite a volume of evidence to support Mr Kenny’s stance.

A report compiled by Dutch consultants recently concluded that the travel tax has netted only €100 million for the Government since its introduction, but has resulted in lost tourism revenues of €480m, causing the destruction of 3,000 jobs in the tourism sector.

The Tourism Renewal Group (established by the Government) has also called for the abolition of the tax. It said in a report last November that “any apparent immediate fiscal benefit from the air travel tax is more than outweighed by the damage done to overseas tourism earnings”.

The group said “the tax is also having a significant impact on confidence in the Irish tourism industry, as it gives an impression that Government undervalues tourism, its earnings, exports and jobs”. This damning conclusion, coming as it does from a Government-sponsored review, is a ringing endorsement of Mr Kenny’s proposal to scrap the travel tax. Retaining or increasing the tax (as Mr Job suggests) is typical of the Fianna Fáil/Mugabe economics which have brought our country to its knees.

Barry Walsh

Brooklawn

Dublin 3