Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms Licken for coming in and I want to acknowledge all the work the Department did during Covid-19. The Department was central to everything, given the situation we were in.

The first issue I want to raise is quite a topical one, namely, hotel prices. I have a lot of history in this area. I used to work in Bord Fáilte before I took the mad decision to go into politics. I know the history of how this all works. I know the registration process, the maximum price process, etc.

We have been hearing all these stories about Taylor Swift, and I have two young children who are coincidentally on a Dáil tour today. I told them about how difficult it was for so many young people to get tickets. That is one thing. I also told them about the situation as regards hotels. I know the whole situation about booking one year in advance, but we all know where this is going. To channel my inner Taylor Swift, they more or less said that the Government and this Department need to "Shake it Off" as there will be "Bad Blood" if hotel prices go in the direction we think they are going in relation to events like this and at other peak times. You can "Call it What You Want" but I will call it price gouging, which it is. When you consider that the hotel sector got so much support during Covid-19, it did not think in its "Wildest Dreams" that it would be in this situation where it can charge absolutely extortionate rates across this city. It is happening this very night, if you look it up. Now that it is "Out of the Woods", it is disrespecting the people of Ireland, the taxpayers of Ireland and visitors to Ireland. It is embarrassing our country where an index shows that we are now dearer than many cities across Europe, including London, Paris and so on. If this continues, we need to tell it, "You're on Your own, Kid".

I know I am having a bit of fun in using those song titles, but I am very experienced in the area of tourism. I think I am the only person here who has worked in Fáilte Ireland. I registered discoverireland.ie. I built our national tourism database with colleagues. I have never seen what is going on at the moment. Under the Tourism Traffic Act 1939, there is a list of maximum prices in every hotel room. This is the registration process. Will the Department, working with the Minister, look at changing this to have prices that are realistic? When it comes to accreditation, in other words, the rating of one to five stars, will value for money be part of it? I will say it out straight. If this does not happen, I will table legislation to do that. Is there any change afoot in the Department in relation this?

I have three questions and I am sorry to ask for short answers, but I want to get through them.