Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will relate the experiences of people on the ground. I come from the county that is probably the tourism capital of Ireland if not the world and Killarney is the tourism capital of Europe if not the world. Places of note in my county include Kenmare, Dingle and the entire Ring of Kerry. All parts of Kerry are deeply involved in tourism and the hospitality sector. On behalf of those places, I wish to highlight the fact that there are businesses that are struggling. In a great town such as Killarney, the figures are back, the businesses are back and the revenues are back. However, family-owned businesses throughout the Ring of Kerry, from the Maharees to Sneem, Castlecove, Waterville and Cahirsiveen, are struggling because they borrowed money to improve their businesses and now they are saying that this rate is having a detrimental effect on them. They are asking the Minister to keep his commitment and look at the matter again.

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