Tourism Industry Dail Éireann — 2022-09-29 ============================================================ Richard O'Donoghue (IND), Limerick County What is the Government proposing to do to protect the tourism industry, which employs 10% of all workers? The 9% VAT rate was a godsend for many hotels. How will the Government protect them against gouging by electricity and gas suppliers, who are making it impossible for hotels to continue operating? Jack Chambers (FF), Dublin West Businesses are facing cost inflation and other economic stresses, including rising costs in food and energy, increased wages in a competitive recruitment market and the cost of insurance. The aim in budget 2023 is to support the tourism industry to recover and grow in a sustainable way. A total of €214.762 million is being provided for tourism. We have secured €15 million in continued additional funding for overseas marketing of Ireland as a leading holiday destination. This includes €5 million to develop further a new tourism initiative aimed at stimulating international demand, namely, the Year of the Invitation. The budget contains an additional €15 million for a range of industry initiatives, including a €3 million fund for the continuation of investment in skills development and retention and a €2 million increase in funding for domestic marketing. We have also secured additional funding of €3 million for the hosting of American college football. Additional funding of €3 million was secured to allow Fáilte Ireland to continue its work in the area of sustainability. Other allocations include €36.5 million in capital funding for tourism product development in terms of the continued delivery of enhanced visitor experiences in line with the objectives of the National Development Plan 2021-2030. As the Deputy will be aware, the Minister for Finance announced in Tuesday's budget a package to help businesses with escalating energy costs and to plan for the future. This included a temporary business energy support scheme, TBESS, providing qualifying businesses with up to 40% of the increase in electricity or gas bills up to €10,000 per month. It will be administered by the Revenue Commissioners. I am conscious that the reduced VAT rate has been an important element of the business supports secured for the tourism and hospitality sector. Taxation is a matter for the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, and he has extended the reduction to February 2023. All measures and supports will be kept under review in the months ahead, given the current uncertainties in the market. The hospitality and tourism forum, which is co-chaired by the Tánaiste and the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, is the appropriate arena in which to discuss issues with the industry and other key questions arising as the sector rebuilds. Additional information not given on the floor of the House The most recent meeting was held on 12 September 2022. I am acutely aware of the importance of the tourism sector throughout the country. It is woven into the fabric of Irish cultural and social life and is critical to the regions. I will continue to work and argue for this important industry. Richard O'Donoghue (IND), Limerick County The labour-intensive tourism and hospitality sector provides employment to more than 270,000 people, whose livelihoods depend on tourism. Some 70,000 of those people are directly employed in hotels. That figure had grown to 90,000 in 2018 and 2019 and the hotel industry was hopeful that it would return to pre-pandemic levels, when it generated €12 billion in revenue for the economy. Consider the obstacles that the hotel industry overcame this year. There was a major surge in demand, amounting to 140% of pre-pandemic levels. The industry stepped up to the mark during the war in Ukraine when it provided 15% of its capacity under Government contracts. I believe that the figure has far exceeded 15%. What will happen next year when we have visitors from other countries? Will Ireland be full? There is concern about the energy crisis. Since mid-summer, the hospitality sector has constantly requested a central point of information from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, so that the sector might minimise its costs and update its information appropriately, but this has not happened. The SEAI has not done its job and provided a central point of contact for the hotel industry. Jack Chambers (FF), Dublin West We are conscious of the increased costs for businesses as well as the tourism and hospitality sector's importance for employment. That is why a specific scheme has been developed and announced by the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, namely, the TBESS, which will provide businesses with up to 40% of the increase in electricity or gas bills up to €10,000 per month. It in this context that we want to support businesses with their increased energy costs. The Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, has secured specific funding to continue supporting the development of the tourism sector in 2023. Approximately €214 million is being provided to underpin and support the sector in terms of marketing and promoting and to fund the capital development schemes that Fáilte Ireland and many other agencies will progress across the regions, in which regard there will be continued progress next year. Richard O'Donoghue (IND), Limerick County The hotel industry was accused of gouging. However, the Smith Travel Research, STR, report, which provides benchmarking and marketplace insight in a global hospitality industry monitor, stated that the average price of a Dublin hotel room during the high season was €187 and much lower throughout the country. It was definitely much lower in Limerick. For a Fianna Fáil Minister to say publicly that the hospitality industry was guilty of gouging hurt the entire sector. I am glad to say the Tánaiste, Deputy Varadkar, corrected the record yesterday while speaking on the radio and said this was not a true reflection of what was happening around the country. It was definitely not happening in Limerick. For a Fianna Fáil Minister of State from Limerick to say the hotel industry was gouging meant he had not done his homework and he had just singled out the entire hotel industry. One question the Minister of State might answer concerns the fact that more than 15% of our hotels, or well over that, have now gone in the context of the war in Ukraine. What are we going to do with visitors who will be coming in next year? What is going to happen to the businesses depending on these hotels having visitors coming in? Nearly 30% of our hotels are now full with people, and the Government wishes to take in more. The Government is going to destroy our industry and destroy Ireland. Jack Chambers (FF), Dublin West It was important for us to have provided a humanitarian response for those who arrived from Ukraine. Thankfully, we have been able to provide accommodation and support for people when they arrive. It has been very important. I hope Deputy O'Donoghue is not suggesting----- Richard O'Donoghue (IND), Limerick County I am not suggesting it in the first place. I am asking where we are going to put our visitors----- Jack Chambers (FF), Dublin West I do not think that we should----- Mattie McGrath (CC), Tipperary Deputy, please. Richard O'Donoghue (IND), Limerick County I was not suggesting it in the first place. I am asking the Minister of State where----- Jack Chambers (FF), Dublin West We must be very careful not to----- Richard O'Donoghue (IND), Limerick County The Minister of State is correct, and he would want to be very careful in how he is suggesting----- Jack Chambers (FF), Dublin West Deputy O'Donoghue must be very careful to not suggest that those who are arriving from Ukraine----- Richard O'Donoghue (IND), Limerick County We signed up for women, children and the over 60s. Mattie McGrath (CC), Tipperary Deputy, please. Jack Chambers (FF), Dublin West I think----- Richard O'Donoghue (IND), Limerick County Males between 20 and 50 are arriving. Jack Chambers (FF), Dublin West The Deputy should be very careful. We are providing a strong humanitarian response for those who arrived from Ukraine. We have an obligation to provide----- Richard O'Donoghue (IND), Limerick County Yes, we are. We welcome them. Jack Chambers (FF), Dublin West -----accommodation and welfare to those who have arrived. Richard O'Donoghue (IND), Limerick County We welcome them. Jack Chambers (FF), Dublin West To apportion blame to them, however, around the----- Richard O'Donoghue (IND), Limerick County I am not. I am saying 20-to-50-year-olds are coming in. We signed up for women and children. Jack Chambers (FF), Dublin West I respectfully ask the Deputy----- Mattie McGrath (CC), Tipperary Please, Deputy, allow the Minister of State to speak. Jack Chambers (FF), Dublin West The Deputy should be respectful----- Richard O'Donoghue (IND), Limerick County I know, and women and children----- Mattie McGrath (CC), Tipperary Deputy, please. Jack Chambers (FF), Dublin West We should be very respectful----- Richard O'Donoghue (IND), Limerick County The Minister of State should behave. Jack Chambers (FF), Dublin West -----and considerate----- Richard O'Donoghue (IND), Limerick County Women and children. Jack Chambers (FF), Dublin West -----of those who have arrived----- Richard O'Donoghue (IND), Limerick County Women and children. Jack Chambers (FF), Dublin West -----and not to----- Richard O'Donoghue (IND), Limerick County Women and children. Mattie McGrath (CC), Tipperary Address the Chair please. Jack Chambers (FF), Dublin West To start pitching those who have come from war-torn circumstances is----- Richard O'Donoghue (IND), Limerick County The Minister of State has gone off the topic because he cannot answer the question. Jack Chambers (FF), Dublin West -----a very unfair departure----- Richard O'Donoghue (IND), Limerick County I ask the Minister of State to answer the question. Mattie McGrath (CC), Tipperary We will move on to Question No. 6 as the next Deputy is as láthair. I call Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan, or rather Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2022-09-29/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:51:06+00:00 Sitting date: 2022-09-29