Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

One only has to look at the tourism sector's GDP share to realise its importance in this country. On 22 October, society will reopen, with venues and attractions expected to be operating at full capacity. The pandemic has had a devastating effect on tourism and its impact will be felt for a long time after the full reopening of society. The sector will need significant support, including a commitment that the 9% VAT rate will be kept in place. It also needs a commitment that the employment wage subsidy scheme will continue into next year, so that the survival of these businesses is assured. The scheme should have a more targeted eligibility to ensure business that continue to be disproportionately impacted by Covid can be supported for the first quarter of the year, with further extensions if necessary.

The Government's only tourism stimulus measure, the stay-and-spend tax rebate, was a flop and did little to stimulate the sector. The feedback I received from constituents was that it did not go far enough, was unnecessarily complicated and required an input of 80% of the upfront costs, which people did not have. As Deputy Cronin said, it would have been far more beneficial to introduce a tourism and hospitality voucher along the lines of the Sinn Féin proposal, which would have given €200 to every adult and €100 to every child in the State.

In the brief time remaining, I will turn to the aviation sector. We need an aviation recovery plan without delay and we must protect workers in the sector. We have seen the recent attempt by the Dublin Airport Authority to outsource front-line maintenance work. It must be resisted. All the recommendations in the report of the aviation recovery task force, from July 2020, need to be implemented. The most recent national aviation policy document was published six years ago. That situation must be reviewed urgently. We are an island nation and our aviation sector is vital. It is time the Government gave it the help it deserves.

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