Mr. Eoghan O'Mara Walsh:

-----priced, I do not believe that is a positive reflection on the hotel or tourism industries. If one looks at the broad average rate, which is all we can look at, for a particular month - and this is collated by an independent very credible and respected third party source - it is about €155 for the previous available month in Dublin. This was 16% higher than the same month in 2019. That is undeniably a significant jump but it is largely driven by inflationary costs and a supply shortage. The Government has been very supportive and I would urge it to continue to be so because full recovery of the tourism industry is about three to four years away. This year is unique in many ways as there are all sorts of variables in there, including supply being taken out of the system and hyperinflationary costs.

The year 2023, for example, is going to be far tougher and softer. We need the Government pro-tourism policies to be maintained on the competitiveness and investment fronts.