Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. I absolutely appreciate all of the supports that were quite necessary during Covid, and which every other country instituted in their sectors. While I appreciate that the Minister does not have the full say, certainly I hope that as the Minister with responsibility for tourism the Minister would be a great advocate to retain this rate, particularly for rural Ireland. Many cities across Europe have a city tax for hotels. The reduction in accommodation that we have seen means we will be far more dependent on our local communities to support our restaurants and the other tourist activities. Our restaurants in particular need to remain at the 9% rate, for sure, to remain competitive. I am hearing a lot of stories in which people are finding it much cheaper to travel abroad, with an ensuing flight, to avail of a holiday they can afford. There is a competitive issue there.

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