Vol. 459 No. 8
67 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Finance the annual receipts from the £5 travel tax; if other EU countries have similar taxes; if the legality of such tax on travel within the EU has ever been tested against EU law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19072/95]
The yield from the travel tax was £10.5 million in 1994.
Other EU countries have similar taxes, e.g. the United Kingdom applies a tax to air transport and Denmark imposes a tax on foreign charter air travel.
The EU Commission challenged the legality of the tax in 1985 on the grounds that it violated Community law applicable in the area of workers' rights to travel from one member state to another. The points raised by the Commission were responded to by my Department. The matter was not taken any further.
