Vol. 418 No. 4
79 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Finance if he will grant a similar tax status as that enjoyed by Shannon Airport, to Cork Free Port at Ringaskiddy in County Cork; if he will outline the reasons it has been refused to date; and if he agrees with Cork Harbour Commissioners, Cork Corporation and Cork County Council that the granting of such tax concessions would have a major bearing on job creation in the area as was the case in Britain and Belgium.
As already detailed in a composite reply to Deputies Allen and Barry on 12 November 1991, Cork Free Port enjoys a broad range of indirect tax reliefs in the area of VAT and of customs duties. That reply also responded, in the context of job creation, to the issue of introducing incentives in the area of direct tax, and to the attitude of the EC in relation to the extension of the 10 per cent rate, as applied to certain activities in the Shannon Customs-Free Airport, to the Cork Free Port.
The position, as set out on that occasion, has not changed in the meantime.
