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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 28 Jan 1976

Vol. 287 No. 4

Financial Resolutions. - Financial Resolution No. 2: Excise—Spirits.

I move:

(1) That in this Resolution "the Order of 1975" means the Imposition of Duties (No. 221) (Excise Duties) Order, 1975 (S.I. No. 307 of 1975).

(2) That the duty of excise on spirits imposed by paragraph 4 (2) of the Order of 1975 shall be charged, levied and paid, as on and from the 29th day of January, 1976, at the several rates specified in the Schedule to this Resolution in lieu of the several rates specified in the second column of the First Schedule to the said Order.

(3) That nothing in this Resolution shall operate to relieve from or to prejudice or affect the additional excise duty in respect of immature spirits imposed by paragraph 4 (2) of the Order of 1975 at the several rates specified in the third column of the First Schedule to the said Order.

(4) It is hereby declared that it is expedient in the public interest that this Resolution shall have statutory effect under the provisions of the Provisional Collection of Taxes Act, 1927 (No. 7 of 1927).

SCHEDULE.

RATES OF EXCISE DUTY ON SPIRITS.

Description of Spirits

Rate of Duty

£

For every gallon computed at proof of spirits of any description not mentioned hereinafter and imported mixtures and preparations containing spirits

26.0376

For every gallon of imported perfumed spirits entered in such manner as to indicate that the strength is not to be tested

41.660

For every gallon of imported

liqueurs, cordials, mixtures and

other preparations in bottle

entered in such manner as to

indicate that the strength is not

to be tested

35.151

Could I ask the Minister if he would clarify in relation to spirits as he did eventually in relation to beer the total increase arising out of his budget?

The current retail price of a glass of Irish whiskey is 58p, containing a duty of 23.83p and a VAT content of 3.66p. With a 5p increase in retail price applicable immediately the retail price is 63p, containing duty of 28.51p and a VAT content of 3.98p With VAT at 10 per cent from March instead of 6.75 per cent, the retail price will be 64.92p, duty 28.4p rate and VAT 5.9p.

On 1st March what will be the additional increase?

It will be 1.92.

Twopence a glass.

We may take it then that the retail increase in the glass of spirits is as from midnight tonight? Is it from midnight or is it from now?

It is subject, of course, to the appropriate orders being made for an increase. It does not apply to current stocks.

As from midnight tonight the increase will be 5p per glass and there will be another 2p per glass on 1st March?

It should not be assumed that those figures would automatically apply as from those dates. As I say, they apply to the relevant stocks. They would not apply to existing stocks, but to other stocks.

How are hoteliers who have nothing at all in stock to manage?

Maybe Deputy Wilson and his friends have it all in their cocktail cabinets.

That may be a desirable position as the Minister has described it but since he has insisted on it I should like to ask him how he proposes to ensure that this happens and to enforce it?

This is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Industry and Commerce, who makes the necessary orders but until such time as the appropriate orders are made the increases should not occur.

(Dublin Central): Is the Minister talking about the orders for the revenue increase or the VAT increase?

Until 1st March any increase in VAT is a consequence of a variation in the retail price. The necessary provision in relation to VAT is a separate matter and will become effective as from 1st March.

(Dublin Central): Can the Minister indicate if there was an increase or reduction in withdrawal from bond last year?

There was an increase in the consumption of spirits last year.

(Dublin Central): My information is that there was a reduction in withdrawal from bond of 3 to 4 per cent.

There was a 6 per cent increase.

(Dublin Central): In spirits?

Yes. The Revenue Commissioners are the best people to know what has been withdrawn.

Is the Minister aware that the arrangements he made this year about restricting withdrawals from bond in the pre-Christmas period caused severe dislocation of normal trade and subjected a lot of people to considerable inconvenience and difficulty. We had the absurd situation where the ordinary consumer often found grave difficulty in getting reasonable supplies for Christmas from his normal supplier. Would the Minister take note of this fact and the next time he is going to impose these savage and devastating increases on beer and spirits would he try to make some more civilised arrangements where his purposes can be achieved without causing this serious dislocation, inconvenience and hardship on so many people?

Is the Deputy thinking of stockpiling?

One of Deputy Haughey's more memorable phrases was that the old reliables came up smiling. There were as many smiles around last Christmas as ever in relation to the consumption of the old reliables and, possibly, a certain amount of private stockpiling having regard to possible increases that might follow in the budget. In truth, the Revenue Commissioners, in the application of the order, had regard to what were the normal withdrawals by the trade in the Christmas season. It was not restricted in relation to any particular week, taking the annual consumption. They had regard to the normal withdrawals for the Christmas trade

(Dublin Central): Can the Minister give any comparable figures as regards duty in the United Kingdom per bottle of whiskey?

I have not that information immediately available.

(Dublin Central): If the Minister looked he would find them startling.

Question put
The Dáil divided: Tá 69; Níl, 65.

  • Barry, Richard.
  • Begley, Michael.
  • Belton, Luke.
  • Belton, Paddy.
  • Bermingham, Joseph.
  • Bruton, John.
  • Burke, Dick.
  • Burke, Joan T.
  • Burke, Liam.
  • Byrne, Hugh.
  • Clinton, Mark A.
  • Cluskey, Frank.
  • Conlan, John F.
  • Coogan, Fintan.
  • Cooney, Patrick M.
  • Corish, Brendan.
  • Cosgrave, Liam.
  • Costello, Declan.
  • Coughlan, Stephen.
  • Creed, Donal.
  • Crotty, Kieran.
  • Cruise-O'Brien, Conor.
  • Desmond, Barry.
  • Desmond, Eileen.
  • Dockrell, Maurice.
  • Donegan, Patrick S.
  • Donnellan, John.
  • Enright, Thomas.
  • Esmonde, John G.
  • Finn, Martin.
  • FitzGerald, Garret.
  • Fitzpatrick, Tom. (Cavan).
  • Flanagan, Oliver J.
  • Gillhawley, Eugene.
  • Governey, Desmond.
  • Griffin, Brenadan.
  • Harte, Patrick D.
  • Hegarty, Patrick.
  • Hogan O'Higgins Brigid.
  • Jones, Denis F.
  • Kavanagh, Liam.
  • Keating, Justin.
  • Kelly, John.
  • Kenny, Enda.
  • Kyne, Thomas A.
  • L'Estrange, Gerald.
  • Lynch, Gerard.
  • McDonald, Charles B.
  • McLaughlin, Joseph.
  • McMahon, Larry.
  • Malone, Patrick.
  • Murphy, Michael P.
  • O'Brien, Fergus.
  • O'Connell, John.
  • O'Donnell, Tom.
  • O'Leary, Michael.
  • O'Sullivan, John L.
  • Pattison, Seamus.
  • Reynolds, Patrick J.
  • Ryan, John J.
  • Ryan, Richie.
  • Spring, Dan.
  • Staunton, Myles.
  • Taylor, Frank.
  • Thornley, David.
  • Timmins, Godfrey.
  • Toal, Brendan.
  • Tully, James.
  • White, James.

Níl

  • Allen, Lorcan.
  • Andrews, David.
  • Barrett, Sylvester.
  • Blaney, Neil T.
  • Brady, Philip A.
  • Brennan, Joseph.
  • Breslin, Cormac.
  • Briscoe, Ben.
  • Brosnan, Seán.
  • Brugha, Ruairí.
  • Burke, Raphael P.
  • Callanan, John.
  • Calleary, Seán.
  • Carter, Frank.
  • Colley, George.
  • Collins, Gerard.
  • Connolly, Gerard.
  • Crinion, Brendan.
  • Cronin, Jerry.
  • Cunningham, Liam.
  • Daly, Brendan.
  • Davern, Noel.
  • de Valera, Vivion.
  • Dowling, Joe.
  • Fahey, Jackie.
  • Farrell, Joseph.
  • Fitzgerald, Gene.
  • Fitzpatrick, Tom (Dublin Central).
  • Flanagan, Seán.
  • French, Seán.
  • Gallagher, Denis.
  • Geoghegan-Quinn, Máire.
  • Gibbons, Hugh.
  • Gibbons, James.
  • Gogan, Richard P.
  • Haughey, Charles.
  • Healy, Augustine A.
  • Herbert, Michael.
  • Hussey, Thomas.
  • Kenneally, William.
  • Kitt, Michael P.
  • Lalor, Patrick J.
  • Lemass, Noel T.
  • Leonard, James.
  • Loughnane, William.
  • Lynch, Celia.
  • Lynch, Jack.
  • McEllistrim, Thomas.
  • MacSharry, Ray.
  • Meaney, Tom.
  • Molloy, Robert.
  • Moore, Seán.
  • Murphy, Ciarán.
  • Nolan, Thomas.
  • Noonan, Michael.
  • O'Connor, Timothy.
  • O'Kennedy, Michael.
  • O'Leary, John.
  • Power, Patrick.
  • Smith, Patrick.
  • Timmons, Eugene.
  • Tunney, Jim.
  • Walsh, Seán.
  • Wilson, John P.
  • Wyse, Pearse.
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Kelly and B. Desmond; Níl, Deputies Lalor and Healy.
Question declared carried.
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