Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 1 Feb 1990

Vol. 395 No. 2

Written Answers. - Duty Free Sales.

Brian O'Shea

Ceist:

19 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport the profit made from duty free sales by Aer Rianta in (a) Dublin Airport, (b) Shannon Airport and (c) Cork Airport in the last period for which figures are available; the percentage share of turnover represented by profit; the likely loss of revenue, if any, from such sales after 1992; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Tourism and Transport (Mr. S. Brennan)

As the reply to the question is in the form of a tabular statement I propose to circulate it in the Official Report.

Sales in Aer Rianta Duty Free Outlets in 1988 at Dublin, Shannon and Cork Airports

	Total Valueof Sales	Surplus of Incomeover Expenditure	Estimated Value of Sales to Intra Community Travellers
	I	II	III
	£000	£000	£000
Dublin	19.9	8.1(40.71%)	17.9
Shannon	11.4	1.6(14.04%)	5.7
Cork	2.2	0.9(40.91%)	2.1
	33.5	10.6	25.7

Notes

1. The figures in column II show the surplus of income over expenditure arising on sales in Aer Rianta duty free outlets. These figures do not represent profit in the strict commercial sense. It is necessary to compute the information in this manner because certain commercial charges — for example interest on borrowings and depreciation provisions — do not arise in the case of Aer Rianta's accounts in the same manner as they would in a normal set of commercial accounts. This accounting treatment arises directly from the fact that the assets at the State Airports which include the duty free outlets are owned by the Minister for Tourism and managed on his behalf by Aer Rianta.

2. The figures shown in column III represent estimated sales of goods to intra EC travellers. If duty free sales within the EC were to be abolished over 85 per cent of this revenue would be lost to Aer Rianta.

3. Sales of non-dutiable goods at the Aer Rianta duty free outlets are included in the above figures.