Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I strongly agree with the sentiments expressed by Senator Conway regarding customer service. Every successful business guru would say the key to the success of any business operation is good customer service. Every small business in the country knows it must look after its customers if it is to survive. Yet when any of us try to interact with some of the main service providers in the country, including the banks, Eircom, Irish Water and Electric Ireland, it is an endurance test to try to log a query or get information by telephone. We need a debate in the House on how the various State agencies and utility providers deal with their customers.

In the 2011 budget the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, introduced an innovative measure in the form of a VAT reduction to 9% for the hospitality sector. This move created in the region of 34,000 jobs and gave a very welcome stimulus to the economy generally. The recent tourism strategy announced by the Government is designed to create an additional 50,000 jobs over the next decade. It is important, therefore, to have a debate in the House with the Minister for Finance or a Minister of State with responsibility for finance to determine how effective the measure was and how well the hospitality sector has kept its end of the bargain. There is a perception that while the Government honoured its commitment, not all businesses in the hospitality sector lowered their prices to reflect the VAT reduction.