Anne-Marie McNally, the Social Democrats candidate for Dublin Mid-West, has called on the Government to avail of EU review procedures to change our VAT rates on certain products.
Ms McNally highlighted some inexplicable discrepancies in the VAT rate attached to similar products such as adult crash helmets and children’s crash helmets.
Children’s helmets are charged at 0% VAT whereas adult helmets are subject to VAT at 13.5%. Ms McNally said this is just one of a number of examples that simply don’t make sense. The Social Democrats Budget has called for a review of these VAT rates.
Ms McNally said:
“The crash helmets example is a very stark example of some of the ludicrous disparities in VAT rates but there are other ones that are equally as worrying. For example sanitary pads and tampons attract a 0% VAT rate whereas incontinence products are charged at 13.5%.
“Similarly if we really want to promote healthy sexual activity and try and curb the worrying increase in Sexually Transmitted Infections we must question why we levy 13.5% VAT on condoms and other barrier methods which help prevent STIs yet oral contraceptives which have no use in stopping STIs attract a 0% VAT rate.”
ENDS
10 October 2017