I move: "That the Dáil agree with the Committee in Financial Resolution No. 24."
Financial Resolutions—Report (Resumed). - Financial Resolution No. 24—Excise.
To what extent is the tax raised? We have here 4d. to 6d., 6d. to 7d., 7d. to 11½d. to 1/6. Is the increase now greater than the original tax? Would the Minister please explain and tell the House what is the tax already?
I saw a statement in the Deputy's organ—United Ireland— this morning that the tax on the sixpenny seats has been increased. It has not. There is no increase in the tax on seats the price of admission to which is sixpence or less.
What is the increase in the case of the seats from 7d. to 11½d.?
About 30 per cent., and 50 per cent. on the higher ranges.
About 1½d. in these cases.
And 50 per cent. on the higher ranges.
30 per cent. in the case of the 2½d. tax and the 4½d. tax?
Yes.
And the Minister expects to get £260,000 this year out of it.
No.
Out of the whole entertainment tax?
I expect to get about £50,000 more out of this.
That is about £260,000 out of the entertainment tax, and during the Cumann na nGaedheal administration it was £167,000.
That shows how very prosperous the people are becoming.
It shows that the Minister hopes to screw more money out of the people. I think in the case of the entertainment tax that the Minister will be disappointed, and in the process of disappointing the Minister the people will be deprived of a pleasure to which they ought to be legitimately entitled. In the progress towards that standard of living, doubtless the only entertainment left will be climbing trees and running around in skin jackets. When we are running around in skins——
There is no duty on skins.
We have no guarantee that there will not be in the next Budget. If ever the time arrives when we are running around in skins, and Deputy MacEntee is Minister for Finance, there will be a duty on skins.
Question put and agreed to.
Report of following Resolutions agreed to:—No. 25 (Customs and Excise); No. 26 (Death Duties); No. 27 (Death Duties); No. 28 (General).
The Dáil adjourned at 1.55 p.m. until Tuesday, 28th May.