Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I hope that the key hotels in the group, that we both know, will do much better than is the case at present. We are already aware that they are looking at forming strategic alliances and partnerships to try to develop the sites. They can do much better. Even at the height of the season last year it was disappointing to see that they were only on 40% occupancy. We all know that is not sustainable. The best staff will not stay in that situation. That has increasingly been the case in recent years and they have had to recruit the key staff elsewhere. The people who have served me and others have been Austrians and Germans because the hotels were not able to retain people who moved elsewhere. That has been the position.

I do not know what will happen to some of the hotels that have been losing money endlessly and that have not been able to cut it. Perhaps others will come in and make them work, but the key ones can have a very good future. The Government will do anything it can to help in that. The Minister will meet the representatives next week.

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