Tourism Minister Michael Ring has said the special low rate of VAT is working, and he wants to keep it.
Michael Ring said the 9% rate is bringing tourists to Ireland and cannot be scrapped.
The special low rate was extended in last year's Budget, but with the next Budget only seven weeks away, its future is again up in the air.
Minister Ring said: "This has worked. This has created jobs and given a major boost to the tourism sector of this country.
"This week, we saw the restauraunts association saying there were 30,,000 extra jobs created this year."