Results 3,461-3,480 of 10,556 for speaker:Niamh Smyth

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Business of Joint Committee (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: I welcome everybody to the meeting. It is great to have people back in the room. This is the first full-on meeting we have had. Although we have had witnesses in, we were still doing some social distancing and everything else. We should still be careful. I thank my colleagues who are joining in person or remotely from their offices. Before I call on the witnesses to address the...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Rising Cost of Tourist Accommodation: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: This meeting has been convened with representatives from the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation, ITIC, the Irish Hotels Federation, IHF, Fáilte Ireland and officials from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media for a round-table discussion on the rising cost of tourist accommodation. On behalf of the committee, I warmly welcome from the Irish Tourism...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Rising Cost of Tourist Accommodation: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: I thank all our guests for their comprehensive statements and for sticking to the time - brilliant. I now move to my colleagues. They have six minutes each for questions and answers. I begin with Senator Cassells.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Rising Cost of Tourist Accommodation: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: Is the Senator finished or are there any further questions he may wish to ask, briefly?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Rising Cost of Tourist Accommodation: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: I thank Senator Cassells but I will have to move on in order to give enough time to everybody. I now invite Deputy Munster to speak, please.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Rising Cost of Tourist Accommodation: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: The Deputy's time is up. I have given her a bit of latitude. I ask her to wrap up.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Rising Cost of Tourist Accommodation: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: We might give Mr. Fenn an opportunity to respond.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Rising Cost of Tourist Accommodation: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: Deputy Munster, will you give the witness an opportunity to respond? You have had a good opportunity.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Rising Cost of Tourist Accommodation: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: I call the Irish Hotels Federation.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Rising Cost of Tourist Accommodation: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: I have to draw this piece to a close. I have given as much latitude as possible. I am trying to be fair across the room. It is up to the members to use their time to ask questions, talk or give the witnesses an opportunity to respond.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Rising Cost of Tourist Accommodation: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: We have thrashed through a lot of the issues. I agree very much with my colleagues. I especially agree with what Deputy O'Sullivan had to say. I am looking at it from the perspective of a Border county and the Border region. I am thinking of Cavan and Monaghan which are not west Cork. The hotels, hoteliers, restaurants and pubs would give their right arms to have the problem that exists...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Rising Cost of Tourist Accommodation: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: To be honest with Mr. Kelly, however, up to now we have been hearing that we can expect the prices in hotels around Dublin specifically not to go down that much towards the end of the year.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Rising Cost of Tourist Accommodation: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: I have one final question for Mr. Kelly, and he is brilliant with his facts. Regarding the vision, and he talked about 3,500 extra beds coming into the system, where do we need to be aiming at in the next 12 months? Mr. Kelly did say that was the figure and that it may not be enough. If he was to take an educated and informed guess as to what we should be aiming at, what would that be?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Rising Cost of Tourist Accommodation: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: I suppose that, in turn, will push up the price further for those last few remaining rooms that Mr. Fenn was talking about. Turning to Mr. Fenn, I ask him for one final comment. In his presentation, he talked about spiralling operational costs. We accept this is happening throughout the country and it is not unique to Dublin, Galway, Cork or the big urban areas. There has been an increase...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Rising Cost of Tourist Accommodation: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: It is important to say that Ireland is a lovely and wonderful place to holiday and we still encourage people to do the staycation. That is important.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Rising Cost of Tourist Accommodation: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: The industry is going to have them all solved soon.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Rising Cost of Tourist Accommodation: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: Will that be 5,000 extra bedrooms in Dublin or nationally?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Rising Cost of Tourist Accommodation: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: Okay.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Rising Cost of Tourist Accommodation: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: On that note we must draw today’s meeting to a conclusion. I am sorry. I feel like I have not had a chance to ask Mr. O’Shea and Ms Gleeson anything, but we will have a second go in a little while. I thank all the witnesses for attending what has been a useful and informative meeting. I appreciate their attendance and comprehensive presentations. I thank my colleagues for...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Public Service Performance Report 2021: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: I thank my colleague, Senator Malcolm Byrne, for joining me this afternoon. We are after having a heated and robust discussion around hotels and Ms Gleeson was in the middle of it all. This part of the meeting is slightly different. I welcome officials from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. This is the committee's first meeting to examine the public...