Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Senators Terry Brennan and Terry Leyden that it is great to see 20,000 people coming to Dublin to attend the Web Summit in the RDS today. This venture, with its extensive programme of events, is a credit to the organisers and city management. Unfortunately, however, our hotel industry has let us down yet again by imposing exorbitant prices to coincide with the summit. There is a hotel diagonally opposite this House which is quoting €185 for a room that would normally cost €50. I am aware of several other hotels which are quoting €500 or €600 for rooms that would usually be charged at €150. It is not good enough, but I am not sure what we can do about it. Would it be possible, for example, to introduce some type of price control mechanism? The same thing used to happen in Galway during the Galway Races, but the problem seems to have rectified itself in the wake of the bad publicity to which hotels in that city were subjected. Will the Leader invite the Dublin-based Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, to the House to give his view on what might be done? Perhaps the Government needs to engage with the Irish Hotels Federation to ensure this type of practice does not recur in the future. It is simply not acceptable.

I agree with the sentiments expressed here today regarding the Ask.fm website, which has apparently been responsible for the deaths of several individuals as a consequence of cyberbullying. The Government should raise a flag in favour of young people experiencing cyberbullying by telling the company which operates this website that it is not wanted in this country. The majority of decent people do not want anything to do with it because of its appalling track record. Will the Leader bring the sentiments of the House in this matter to the attention of the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation?