Holidays are about to become a taxing matter for EU ministers

VALUE ADDED TAX is one of those red-rag-to-a-bull issues used every now and again to whip up anger. It adds a fifth to almost every bill we pay in Ireland — one of the highest rates in the EU — but we seldom notice unless we are first quoted a price minus VAT.

In the EU it's certainly a red rag issue and comes in various guises from the tax on children's clothing and footwear to the latest debate VAT on travel agents.

Common sense seems to evaporate when VAT comes into the picture.