The Government has raised €67 million in the first six months of its contentious €10 air travel tax, Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan confirmed yesterday.
“We currently face significant financial challenges and the air travel tax is an important revenue raising measure,” he said, confirming that €67.3 million was raised between April and the end of September last.
The Government’s Tourism Renewal Group and the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation has called for the removal of the tax.
Asked by Joanna Tuffy (Lab) if the Government will be carrying out a review of the implementation of the tax, Mr Lenihan in a written Dáil reply said that “the rates for the Irish air travel tax are not unreasonable both for shorter and longer journeys, when compared to rates in other countries”.