Vol. 488 No. 1
170 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Finance the value of duty free sales to the Irish economy; the current developments with regard to the Irish position in the context of the EU position; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5650/98]
In my reply to a debate in this House on 10 February I set out the present position on duty free and my overall approach to this issue. I drew attention to the fact that Ireland was undertaking a study of the economic impact of duty free, which would help to clarify the impact of the ending of duty free shopping for intra-EU travel on Irish jobs and the economy.
I also refer the Deputy to my Press Statement of 23 February in which I said: "Duty Free is an important part of Irish trade in general and, in particular, duty free sales makes a very significant contribution to the travel and tourism industry in Ireland."
