Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister here today. I would like to compliment all working in both the tourism and hospitality sector, certainly for the fact that it brought over €8 billion into the economy in 2016. I take grave exception to what has been said to my left here today about the 9% VAT rate, as somebody who comes from the hospitality industry and who grew up in a business that was involved in the hospitality industry for over 60 years. I grew up, worked in and was an employer in the hospitality industry in the past, and I declare my hand and say that I have no problem in saying that I no longer work within that industry, but I am aware of the employment created by the small hospitality industry. I know Senator Gavan referred mainly to the hotels in his contribution, but we cannot tar everybody with the same brush. It is like when people in other lines of work are talked about. Politicians are often tarred with the one brush. It is very unfair to tar everybody with the one brush.

The 9% VAT rate was responsible for creating over 20,000 jobs. That is nothing to be sneezed at. Many jobs have been created.