asked the Minister for Finance the annual amount of customs duty collected (a) on parts and accessories of motor vehicles and (b) on taxi meters; and if, having regard to the cost of collection of revenue on taxi meters, he will reconsider his decision not to permit their importation free of duty.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Import of Taxi Meters.
23.
Mr. O'Malley
The annual amount of customs duty collected on parts and accessories of motor vehicles, other than aggregates of parts imported for assembly, is roughly £1.4 million. Of this total approximately £2,000 is derived from taxi meters.
It is no more costly to collect the customs duty on taxi meters than on any other parts or accessories. In the case of any particular item the cost would be negligible.
As I explained previously the duty involved is a revenue duty and I would not feel justified in introducing a special exemption for taxi meters.