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Published and printed in Dublin Monday, March 16, 2009 METRO FREE Moo-ving ahead of the pack: These two men looked as though they had lost their dog during yesterday’s rehearsals for the GAA’s Monumental Moments pageant, which will lead the St Patrick’s Festival Parade Picture: Fennells HELP METRO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT. RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER TODAY INSIDE TODAY See Page 14 Mary Coughlan’s frank revelations on life and booze See Page 17 Win VIP tickets to see The Boat That Rocked PLUS WIN... A weekend in Cork See Page 3 bY jOANNE O’CONNOR Call for VAT cut to boost economy CROSS-BORDER bargains in the North continue to lure savvy shoppers, prompt- ing a call for a cut inVAT. A survey of Metro’s Urban Life panel has shown that 26 per cent of Urbanites continue to avoid the State’s 21.5 per cent VAT rate when shopping – preferring to travel north instead. Alcohol, household products, clothing, enter- tainment goods as well as health and beauty items are ﬁlling shopping baskets, with the majority of food products being bought in the Republic. It has been estimated that last year’s VAT in- crease – made when the euro to sterling exchange rate hit a record high – has cost the State more than €700million in lost trade to the North. Last October, while British VAT was cut to 15 per cent, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan increased the IrishVAT rate from 21 per cent to 21.5 per cent, a move he later admitted was a ‘serious mistake’. Retail Ireland’s Torlach Denihan yesterday said theVAT rate on goods, particularly alcohol, will have to be reviewed to protect our economy and jobs. ‘Our excise rate is 40 per cent higher on spir- its and 23 per cent higher on wine than in the North. Shoppers travel north to buy alcohol and end up buying other items too,’ he said. What you think of Paddy’s Day: Page 6

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Published and printed in DublinMonday, March 16, 2009

METROFREE

Moo-ving ahead of the pack: These two men looked as though theyhad lost their dog during yesterday’s rehearsals for the GAA’s MonumentalMoments pageant, which will lead the St Patrick’s Festival Parade Picture: Fennells

HELP METRO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT. RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER TODAY

INSIDE TODAY

See Page 14

Mary Coughlan’sfrank revelationson life and booze

See Page 17

Win VIP ticketsto see The BoatThat Rocked

PLUSWIN... Aweekendin Cork

See Page 3

bY jOANNE O’CONNOR

Call forVAT cutto boosteconomyCROSS-BORDER bargains in the Northcontinue to lure savvy shoppers, prompt-ing a call for a cut in VAT.A survey of Metro’s Urban Life panel has shown

that 26 per cent of Urbanites continue to avoid theState’s 21.5 per cent VAT rate when shopping –preferring to travel north instead.Alcohol, household products, clothing, enter-

tainment goods as well as health and beauty itemsare filling shopping baskets, with the majority offood products being bought in the Republic.It has been estimated that last year’s VAT in-

crease – made when the euro to sterling exchangerate hit a record high – has cost the State morethan €700million in lost trade to the North.

Last October, while BritishVAT was cut to 15 percent, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan increased theIrish VAT rate from 21 per cent to 21.5 per cent, amove he later admitted was a ‘serious mistake’.Retail Ireland’s Torlach Denihan yesterday said

the VAT rate on goods, particularly alcohol, willhave to be reviewed to protect our economy andjobs. ‘Our excise rate is 40 per cent higher on spir-its and 23 per cent higher on wine than in theNorth. Shoppers travel north to buy alcohol andend up buying other items too,’ he said.

What you think of Paddy’s Day: Page 6

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