Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for being late. My time management today has gone out the window.

When I arrived, the Chair was asking the Minister about the 9% VAT rate and the current lobbying to retain it. I know this is not strictly the Minister's decision, but we had conversations previously with regard to the exorbitant prices hotels, especially in cities, are charging and the reputational damage this is doing. Other countries have managed to separate hotels from the remainder of those who can avail of 9% VAT. Has the Minister given any thought to that, given the outrage all of last year regarding the price gouging that was going on? People who could not afford to holiday at home found that weekends abroad, including flights, were one third cheaper than what they were expected to pay for one or two nights in a Dublin hotel or a hotel in a major city. Has the Minister given any thought to that at all?