Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The changes in hotel rates in Dublin send out a signal regarding the competitiveness of our country and the ability of people to come and visit us. When I was Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I made the point that if trends that were evident then continued, it would cause a difficulty for us in the future. However, I also stated that I understood that the reassessing of price levels within that sector was needed to make the construction of more hotels and hotel rooms viable. While I am aware of and share some of the concerns about the pricing of hotel rooms in Dublin, I can also see the delivery of more hotels and hotel rooms. As the Deputy knows, I do not make a decision about the performance of tax rates within a particular city, even if it is our capital. Other parts of the country continue to experience difficulties in the development of tourism and getting people to visit and stay. I will be examining the national performance of that tax, not just its performance in our capital city.