MONAGHAN COACH OPERATORS COULD LOSE TRADE TO NORTH COMPETITORS BECAUSE OF VAT ANOMALY

“We have enough businesses coming from the North to the South doing business – we don’t need any more!” declared Fianna Fáil’s P J O’Hanlon when a VAT anomaly which local coach operators fear will see them lose trade to Northern Ireland competitors was debated at Monday’s meeting of Monaghan Co Council. Members supported a proposal from Sinn Féin councillor Pat Treanor, seconded by Brian McKenna (SF), to invite representatives of the Coach Tourism and Transport Council of Ireland to meet with a Strategic Policy Committee of the Council to discuss the sector’s concerns.

John Halpenny, Chairman of the CTTC, which describes itself as the main representative body of Ireland’s private bus and coach sector, wrote to the local authority to describe how Covid-19 “has hit our sector hard.” Mr Halpenny stated: “Since the crisis has unfolded, tourist numbers have collapsed, schools, factories and offices have closed. The result has had a huge financial…