(Cavan-Monaghan) asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware that luxury coaches are not now being built here; and if in these circumstances he will remove the 15 per cent import duty on such vehicles.
Ceisteanna—Questions . Oral Answers . - Luxury Coaches .
15.
: I am informed that a limited number of luxury coaches are at present being built here. However, I would point out to the Deputy that the duty to which he refers is not of a protective character but is fully fiscal and forms part of the revenue-yielding complex of excise duties on motor vehicles, their parts and accessories. Accordingly, I do not propose to remove the duty in question.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Is the Minister aware that for some time no luxury coaches are being manufactured here, as distinct from other coaches, and that people who require such coaches must have the chassis sent out to England or to Belgium, have them built there, pay the transport out and back and in addition that they must pay about £2,500 per coach and must then com-pete with coaches coming in here and operated here under an arrangement? Does he not agree that that is unfair competition?
: As I have informed the Deputy, my information is that luxury coaches are being built here on a limited scale. In some places I think it is on a once-off basis. The duty involved is a fiscal one, not a protective one. I think he will accept that that alters the position he has outlined.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Would the Minister tell me the names of the firms who are building luxury coaches here? My definite information is that they are not being built here. Surely it does not matter to the operators of the coaches whether the £2,500 plus they have to pay is an excise duty or some other kind of duty?
: The Deputy will appre-ciate that in so far as the duty is a fiscal one he cannot make a case for its abolition on the basis that it is a protective one. On the question of where such coaches are being built, I can communicate the names of the firms concerned to the Deputy. I can tell him that one is in Dundalk and another is within 20 miles of Dublin.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Would the Minister or one of his colleagues take steps to re-establish the industry here? From what he has said, it is obvious that coaches are not being built here on a large scale and this imposes a great hardship on people who are doing a good job in the tourist business because they are operating in unfair competition conditions vis-à-vis those who operate coaches here which have come in on the ferry.
: I can tell the Deputy that certain steps are being taken to remedy the situation in so far as the building of such coaches is concerned.
(Cavan-Monaghan): I have told the Minister of the circumstances in which Irish operators of luxury coaches have to pay more than £2,500. Could he not stretch a point to relieve that?
: I am afraid not. The matter is complicated by the fact that we are talking about a fiscal duty and there are certain EEC complications involved, or would be if one were to abolish the duty.
(Cavan-Monaghan): We always run for cover to an EEC directive.
: I am not talking about an EEC directive but of complications that exist in this area.
(Cavan-Monaghan): We always seem to run to the EEC when there is no other escape. Would the Minister not stand up for the home trade?
: I am being realistic in what I have said. When the Deputy is talking about the home trade he is not talking about the home coach building trade, but the operators in the trade.