Mr. Paul Hackett:

The travel industry is unique in the crisis since March. Effectively, business stopped on 1 March and since then we have operated at -90% to -95% or -100% in many cases. Unlike pubs, we cannot close and shutter up and send people home because bookings are ongoing. They had to be handled. This is across the corporate sector that Dr. Horn spoke of as well as leisure and the visiting friends and relatives markets.

There was a question about the July stimulus package earlier. It was relevant for businesses that were in recovery but we have never been in recovery. We have seen no uplift since March and we do not expect to see any until the first quarter of 2021.

If the Deputy was referring to how we have engaged on cash flow and credit notes, we worked closely with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to put in place a refund credit note system that is effectively cash flow, not a cost to the State. What the industry needs is support. The move from the temporary wage subsidy to employment wage subsidy scheme that was announced yesterday requires a lot of clarification that it applies to the travel industry and is relevant and that there is no requirement on the restriction levels in line with tiers 1 to 5. The travel industry is all about customer protection, which is what the bonding and licensing allow us to do, and that is why were are in a unique position. We are licensed, bonded and protected. We are in no way buffered or protected because it is our duty to refund our customers, which is what we are trying to do. Our difficulty is that we are caught in the middle between our suppliers and the customers we are trying to refund. The refund credit note was to allow some latitude in that area. All members are doing their best to comply with their obligations.