Council plots tax for tourists staying in Limerick city for Ryder Cup

LIMERICK council is to write to Government to investigate whether it can impose a tax on tourists staying in the city.

It comes with thousands of people due to stay in hotels and other short-stay accommodation within the city boundary next September for the Ryder Cup in Adare.

At this month’s metropolitan meeting, Labour councillor Joe Leddin saw a motion passed calling on Government to allow Limerick’s metropolitan district to introduce the tax, with money collected ring-fenced for tourism and marketing-related initiatives in the city.

Earlier this year, the Government did back plans to give local authorities the power to introduce a visitor levy, but legislation for this has yet to be enacted.

"It’s very timely with the Ryder Cup coming next year,” said Social Democrats councillor Elisa O’Donovan, who backed the motion.

Cllr Leddin said the “value-add” for Limerick is the festivals and events it offers, but money for these is often tight.

"Funds are scarce. Councillors have been asked to give money to support different initiatives. I am sure most of us who have gone abroad, are paying some kind of a tax, whether it’s €1-a-night or a percentage of the overall accommodation costs when we visit somewhere, and we don’t bat an eyelid,” he said.

"We could do so much more with additional money coming in.”

Independent councillor Ursula Gavan seconded Cllr Leddin’s motion. "If funding generated is ringfenced for project and festival and enhancement projects, it can only complement the work Limerick City and County Council are doing, so I’d support it,” she said.

Cllr O’Donovan added: “I was on holidays two weeks go in Naples and paid €2 cash as a tourist tax. Most of us who have visited a European city have paid €1 or €2 in a tax.. It makes a lot of sense. It’s a small amount for an individual, and particularly with the influx of tourists we are probably going to get next year, it makes a lot of sense. It could be very easy income.”

The council will now write to Local Government Minister James Browne, and the Minister for Tourism Peter Burke on the proposal.

Cllr Leddin asked: “If we were to do something, what impact would this have particularly on increasing the attractiveness of Limerick as a destination city and county? If we had significant money coming in, what impact would this have in terms of creating a destination of choice for Limerick?”

The Irish Hotels Federation has long opposed the introduction of a visitor levy, warning that an additional charge would make Ireland less attractive.