According to a report released Monday by the Department of Finance, the 9% tourism VAT rate has cost Ireland 2.6B euro inn tax revenues forgone since its inception in 2011 as an anti-recessionary measure.

The Department of Finance recommends increasing the rate to 13.5%, and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions supports that.

ITIC, on behalf of the tourism industry, opposes the increase as likely limiting economic growth and job creation.

The NI tourism industry perhaps feels that raising the Irish VAT rate would tend to level the playing field between North and South - but that introducing a reduced UK tourism VAT rate would be better

How will this play out? Stay tuned.