Ms M?ire N? Mhurch?:

I think it is fear. When we started researching this, meeting and talking to members, I did not realise how many members we had who are depending on this as their income, as their pension, where it could be part of their family farm or family income and they have no idea if they can continue on in business. That is an awful situation for them. They are left in a situation where they feel they are completely powerless. That is particularly the case in Kerry and one or two other counties where there is a lot of emphasis on trying to enforce old planning legislation, which has not caught up at all with what is on the ground, even now with the rent pressure zones. So fear is the main thing. It also means that people cannot take bookings. Take my house, which you can book 12 to 16 months in advance. The Deputy or myself would probably not do that but Germans will turn around and book a year in advance.