Mr. Michael Cawley:

There may be merit in that. However, accommodation providers in certain parts of the country are still operating at 65% or 70% occupancy. That is a clear indication that they do not have pricing power. The occupancy rate in Dublin is one of the highest among capital cities in Europe. That will only be sorted out with an increase in supply over time. There is a split experience there.

The pressure on the restaurant sector is acute. Supply of labour is difficult which means that salaries are increasing. That is a good thing in one sense, but it is a pressure point for restaurants and then they have this cost on top of that. I cannot speak with enough experience to say definitively, but I would have more sympathy for that sector than I would have for the hotel sector. Crucially we need to look at the value-for-money issue.