Ms Denyse Campbell:

The change in criteria is welcome. Currently, the scheme also takes into account businesses that use kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas, LPG, which is great because up to that point, it was just businesses on mainline gas. That was very welcome, as was the increase in the threshold. It is a huge concern. I have spoken to hoteliers who told me the price of energy is very difficult to absorb. I spoke to a hotelier in County Kilkenny yesterday whose gas bill in December 2019 was €9,000 and last December it was €51,000. That is not even a hotel with a leisure centre, and it is the same for electricity.