Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have a quick question for Ms Gleeson from the Department. The Government and the Department also have a key role in this because we supported the industry. Is it a case that the 9% VAT rate is under pressure because of the hotel pricing and that maintaining that rate is an uphill battle? In particular, because there are other aspects to this and businesses which avail of this rate, such as restaurants, theatres, hairdressers - which is a very significant swathe of businesses - their prices, as I have said, are not escalating on a daily basis. Their prices are there, are set, one can see them on a weekly basis and they remain the same. Is that rate under threat because of what is happening in the wider sector with hotels?