Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I know this is of significant interest to him, in particular given his constituency of Cork South-West which is, was and should again be a great tourism constituency with many hotels and bed and breakfasts which are now really struggling.

The restart grant plus is funded through my Department, but we decided when it comes to bed and breakfasts the most sensible thing would be to administer the scheme through Fáilte Ireland, as that is the Government body that knows bed and breakfasts best. The detailed administration falls to an agency that is not under my remit. The reason we set up the grant was to put cash into the hands of the owners of bed and breakfasts so that they can survive to open another day next summer. I would not have any difficulty in recommending to the Minister, Deputy Martin, that the deadline be extended for unregistered bed and breakfasts. There is little point in advertising a grant and not giving people enough time to apply for it.

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