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

I thank the Deputy. We are going to have to do that, and we will do it. The Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, and I co-chair the hospitality forum. We are going to have to have more discussions about this in the new year. What we have done to help the sector through this difficult period and the new restrictions is that the commercial rates holiday will be extended until the end of the first quarter of next year, if not for longer. The employment wage subsidy scheme will be restored to the higher level of payment. The Covid restrictions support scheme is being extended to cover businesses that are fully closed such as nightclubs. The Deputy has put his finger on a real issue. The hospitality sector is severely restricted and facing into a very difficult period but has to bring in staff from overseas. There are businesses that cannot get staff. This shows how complex the problems we face now are. We are subsidising such employment, but the same businesses have to go abroad to get staff. It requires more comprehensive examination.

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