Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 30 June 2020

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response

Impact of Covid-19: Hospitality Sector

Mr. Adrian Cummins:

Absolutely not. I can give a simple example. There are some utility services now demanding payment upfront and they are targeting the restaurant industry for large deposits for connections. We are being singled out as a sector in this respect. We have spoken to the regulator and identified that this is an issue. We are being targeted by some but not all utility providers, and they seem to be targeting smaller businesses as opposed to larger ones. Businesses do not have the level of cash deposits required. This must be fair and balanced and everybody must step up to the plate in this crisis, including the banks, landlords and utility providers