andMr. McQuillan asked the Minister for Finance whether, should a purchase tax be introduced to offset loss of revenue as a result of the removal of revenue duties, such a tax will under EEC conditions apply as well to homeproduced goods.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - EEC: Application of Purchase Tax.
7.
Article 95 of the Treaty of Rome provides that a Member State may not impose on the products of other Member States any internal charges which are in excess of those applied to like domestic products or which are of such a nature as to afford indirect protection to other products.
The answer to the question is, therefore, in the affirmative; but I would like to stress that the Government have taken no decisions as to the introduction of any form of sales taxation or as to the categories of goods which might be affected.
Is it possible for the Government to give any assessment of the likely increase in the cost of living which would follow these changes?
I cannot give any information about an increase or decrease until we——
Start to negotiate.
——come to a conclusion amongst ourselves as to what taxes will be imposed.
Then everything is not so cut and dried?