The Irish government has revealed that it is ready to explore introducing a tourist tax, although the Republican Party (Fianna Fall) was against it.
Discussions regarding a tourist tax emerged after the publication of the Dublin City Taskforce. The task force made several recommendations to improve the city centre, which prompted a discussion about increasing costs for people travelling to Ireland, Schengen News reports.
The authorities estimate that these changes across Dublin could cost between €750 million and €1 billion, in addition to yearly expenditures of €100 million to €150 million.
These funds are highly likely to be generated from implementing a tourist tax, increased vacant property levies or congestion charges, although this has not been directly recommended.
Irish PM Says He Is Open to Implementing a Tourist Tax
Taoiseach or the head of government, Simon Harris, has revealed that he is not opposed to the idea of implementing a tourist tax. In contrast, the coalition parties have not considered a congestion charge.
I’m conscious that when we go abroad to many cities as tourists, we may end up experiencing one [tourist tax]. I think that merits some consideration.
According to data from the Central Statistics Office Ireland, around 655,400 internationals visited Ireland in July of 2024, with the majority of them coming from the United Kingdom (32.2 per cent), the United States (22.7 per cent) and Germany (7.5 per cent). It is estimated that the visitors spent €919.2 million on their trips to Ireland during July.
Minister Firmly Against Tourism Tax Implementation Due to Rising Costs in Hospitality Sector
The Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien, on the other hand, has objected to the idea of implementing a tax for tourists, arguing the costs in the tourism sector have already increased.
He also pointed out that now is not a convenient time to introduce a tourist tax and noted that no recommendations have been made yet for such a measure. Increasing costs in hospitality would be “the last thing” he wants to see, O’Brien says.
What this government is about is supporting that [hospitality] sector, increasing our offering here within Dublin as well for more visitors, both domestic and from abroad, to come in here.
One of the Taskforce’s recommendations includes enhanced security in the city centre, which can be implemented by deploying some 1,000 police officers or gardai over the next three years. By increasing the number of guardians, the country improves its security.
A report has revealed that Dublin stands behind the EU average proportion of police to residents in the city, which is one police officer per 293 inhabitants. Dublin’s average is one garda per 373 inhabitants.
