Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I was delighted to hear this morning that Ireland has increased its haul of Michelin star restaurants to eight. They are the restaurant at Mount Juliet, the Cliff House Hotel, Thornton's, Chapter One, The Aniar House, Campagne, Bon Appetit and L'Ecrivain. This indicates that our food and restaurant sector is in great health, although many Senators have spoken about the VAT rate this morning. I requested a debate in the House yesterday and it is a serious issue; I was going to point to the figures that Senator Mooney mentioned from the Deloitte report, which indicates the actual cost at €88 million, with an overall gain to the Exchequer at €173 million. Senator Mooney also mentioned potential job losses. I support Senator O'Brien's call for a debate on this issue, and although it should not necessarily be today, it should come in the near future so we can fully discuss this matter, which is of critical importance.