Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

And of course west Cork. I am glad to have an opportunity to speak about the Bill. I met the Minister several years ago in Ballydehob. I hope she enjoyed her break in west Cork at the time. A holiday in west Cork is a unique tourism experience. We have places such as Kinsale, Clonakilty, Bantry, the Beara Peninsula, Baltimore, Union Hall, Schull, Skibbereen and the stunning islands. We have Dursey Island, Bere Island, Whiddy Island, Long Island, Sherkin Island, Cape Island and Hare Island. It is a unique experience.

I met people from the hotel sector just before the budget and I have spoken to them since the budget. I plead with the Minister to concentrate very strongly on this area. There are many very successful hotels in west Cork, such as the Celtic Ross Hotel, the Fernhill House Hotel, the Emmet Hotel, O'Donovan's Hotel in Clonakilty, the West Cork Hotel in Skibbereen, the Westlodge in Bantry and the Schull Harbour Hotel to name a few. If the VAT rate goes from 9% to 13.5% next year it will have a devastating effect on these hotels and the hotel sector. This is also the case for the tourism sector.

These hotels are top class. They have not cashed in. They have not increased their prices over the years. They have been loyal. Most of them are family-run hotels. They told me the VAT rate going from 13.5% to 9% could be the difference between some of them working in their hotels for free and not making any income to keep the door open. This cannot be allowed to happen. They have to live. These hotels, whether they are on Mizen Head or in Bantry, Clonakilty or Kinsale, have to survive. The difference between 9% and 13.5% could be the difference in survival. I ask the Minister to work on it. I know she has to fight her corner at the Cabinet table. There are many hotels and I have named only a few of them that would be in serious trouble. They told me about the energy costs with the price of electricity and oil going out of control. They said they would not even apply for a solar panel given the complications. They would put it in and pay for it themselves if it would help to bring down the energy costs. There is very little between the door staying open and the door closing. Some hotels in west Cork are shut three or four days a week which is quite serious. This is because it is a difficult area and a very difficult time.

I mentioned the Celtic Ross Hotel and I congratulate all the chefs who will graduate on Friday. They are involved in a new west Cork chef academy training programme in conjunction with Cork Education and Training Board. I wish them the best of luck.

Another area in the tourism sector is the pub sector, which has been forgotten about. If we are selling west Cork or anywhere the pub tends to be a place for people to go. I speak to a lot of publicans and I do a lot of clinics in public houses over the weekends. I meet a lot of publicans and I speak to them. Many of them are struggling. They are also wondering whether they can keep the doors open. Recently I was in a public house when the electricity bill was being opened. It had increased from €700 to €2,300 or €2,400. There was a gasp when it was opened. There was also a gasp from the other side of the bar where I was drinking a cup of tea. I was concerned as to whether they can keep the doors open. It is a massive struggle and an area that has probably been forgotten.

We recently spoke about nightclubs and applications for licences. The fees have been cut and this will save a few hundred euro. One time there were seven or eight nightclubs in west Cork and I do not think there are any now. I asked my children and they told me there is no nightclub at the weekends. When we were young there were six or seven to choose from. We used to wonder whether we would go left, right, east, west, south or north. We had Clonakilty, Skibbereen and Bantry. There was a huge number of choices.

Walking has been a brilliant success in west Cork with the Sheep's Head Way and the Beara Way. While progress has been made on the Mizen way proper compensation for farmers must come into play.

I want to speak about visitor centres. I could be here for a week talking about tourism. The Michael Collins visitor centre on the Timoleague road is outstanding. I hope it can be further developed. It was a great year for Michael Collins. I thank Tim and Dolores Crowley who run a very informative centre where people will get information with 100% perfection on the history of Michael Collins. Tourism offices need to be looked at. I plead that they be independently funded through the Minister's Department.

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