Vol. 541 No. 2
942 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will take steps to reduce the outlay expended by clubs in the annual renewal of club licences, particularly the level of stamp duty and advertising costs in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22352/01]
The court fee currently payable on an application for the renewal of a club licence is £120 under the District Court (Fees) Order, 2001. Fees orders are made by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, with the consent of the Minister for Finance. I should point out that the District Court (Fees) Order, 2001, did not increase this fee, which has in fact been unchanged since 1997. In addition, there is an excise duty of £400, pursuant to the Finance Act, 1989, as amended by the Finance Act, 2000, which is paid to the Courts Service on behalf of the Revenue Commissioners, to whom this excise duty is remitted. The Finance Acts are, of course, a matter for the Minister for Finance.
Notice of the application must be published in a daily newspaper circulating in the locality under the Registration of Clubs Act, 1904, and I doubt that it would be prudent or acceptable to reduce or dispense with this publication requirement.
