asked the Minister for Transport and Power if, having regard to the fact that the price paid for many commodities and services includes a proportion which is payable to the State as tax, he will now provide that instead of imposing on air passengers the additional inconvenience of paying a separate passenger service charge the charge will be included in the price of tickets when issued.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Air Passenger Service Charge.
29.
Mr. Ryan
The desirability of including the passenger service charge in the price of the air ticket or devising some other method of payment which would obviate a separate charge, as at present, has always been accepted by me and indeed by many other airport operators. The Deputy will appreciate however that a large proportion of air tickets for departures from Ireland are sold abroad and furthermore that a ticket may cover departures from many airports with different levels of passenger service charge.
The position continues to be studied by international aviation bodies with a view to improving the present system. In the meantime, I have taken steps to ensure that, in so far as is possible, passenger service charges will be collected from passengers at time of purchase of air ticket.
Mr. Ryan
Am I right in believing that the system to which the Minister refers is not yet in operation, namely, that at present when a person purchases a ticket, he is unable to pay the service charge? Will this be introduced in the near future?
Discussions have to take place between a number of airport authorities and air companies to introduce a system which is acceptable to everyone. Information has then to be transmitted to travel agents who sell the tickets.
30.
Mr. Ryan
asked the Minister for Transport and Power the annual cost at each of the three Irish airports of collecting passenger service charges.
31.
Mr. Ryan
asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he will state in respect of each airport the amount collected in passenger service charges since they were introduced.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 31 together.
As the replies are in the form of a tabular statement I propose with your permission to circulate them with the Official Report:—
Following is the statement:—
The actual costs of collection of passenger service charges for 1962/63, including the cost of some capital equipment, and the estimated costs for 1963/64 were:—
|
1962-63 |
1963-64 |
|
|
£ |
£ |
|
|
Dublin |
14,350 |
13,000 |
|
Shannon |
2,910 |
3,000 |
|
Cork |
1,140 |
1,000 |
|
TOTAL |
£18,400 |
£17,000 |
Aer Lingus act as agents of the Minister in the collection of this charge.
Passenger service charges were introduced at Irish airports on 1st April, 1962. The net amount accruing to the Exchequer from these charges in the last two financial years was:
|
1962-63 |
1963-64 |
|
|
£ |
£ |
|
|
Dublin |
137,702 |
146,306 |
|
Shannon |
15,694 |
17,482 |
|
Cork |
11,149 |
14,942 |
|
TOTAL |
£164,545 |
£178,730 |