Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State will be aware of the massive increases in operational costs faced by the hospitality sector this year. Electricity prices are skyrocketing and food prices are up significantly, while insurance and other expenses are putting businesses at risk. While I of course welcome the measures for small and medium-sized enterprises announced yesterday, the budget also quietly included a rise in the VAT rate for the hospitality sector in March from 9% to 13.5%. Any supports allocated to the sector will obviously be gobbled up by that increase. What is the Department doing to support this struggling sector?

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