Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for coming here today to set out in detail what she has done right from the get-go, aided by her officials and Department, in helping the vital tourism and hospitality sector. The work of the tourism recovery task force, which addressed the Oireachtas committee, has been substantial and the interventions over the course of these horrific 12 months have been exceptional, which is only right when we consider how the sector has been immensely affected like no other due to Covid-19 and the large number of people employed in the sector, as outlined by so many speakers already.

The 85% drop in revenue in the sector since the start of the pandemic this time last year has been simply jaw-dropping and of course some have been hit harder than orders due to a reliance on the sector. Last week, I and other members of my party attended a Zoom meeting with members of Chambers Ireland and representatives of Kerry in particular indicated that the pandemic has laid bare the over-reliance in the local economy in the kingdom on the tourism and hospitality sector. Equally, along large parts of the Wild Atlantic Way and my own area of the Boyne Valley, businesses have been hit exceptionally hard as well.

Tomorrow, representatives from the industry will address the Oireachtas committee on tourism. The group will include members of the Irish Hotels Federation, which represents a sector that experienced a €2.5 billion drop in revenue last year, the Restaurants Association of Ireland, whose members employ 125,000 people, the Vintners Federation of Ireland and the Licensed Vintners Association, LVA. The challenges faced in particular in the hospitality sector are best summed up by the LVA statement tomorrow, which alludes to the trading restrictions over the past year. The businesses were closed on 15 March 2020, reopened on 29 June, closed for indoor service on 18 September but allowed to trade outdoors for a maximum of 15 customers, closed for outdoor service on 21 October, reopened on 4 December and closed on Christmas Eve, remaining closed to date. As of today, they have been affected for 372 days and counting.

These are all part of one industry and although they are distinctly different, they are all bound by the desire to trade. That might be stating the obvious but the statement is becoming more pronounced. They do not want the wage subsidy support; they want to trade and for people to recognise that, as the vaccination programme continues, they will trade differently if allowed to do so. How that should happen is the question and it should be in a uniform rather than ad hoc manner.

I have seen chief executives of local authorities being very imaginative and working well with local businesses in previous restrictions. They are reimagining public spaces because they know this is not a short-term matter. Given the warnings from the deputy chief medical officer, Dr. Glynn, in the past couple of days about how much protection the vaccine will really give us, we need that fresh way of thinking to allow these people to trade.

The Minister spoke about not wanting to give people false hope but they are looking for some hope. The comments by Dr. Glynn over the weekend have further dented the small hope those people have. We must be imaginative and work with our chief executives in local authorities across the country to reimagine those spaces. We must provide a roadmap, limited as it may be. There is little point in members of the Oireachtas committee sitting with their thumbs in their mouths tomorrow and patting the heads of people who are coming in. The demands are clear and have been laid out by others. They include a doubling of the Covid restrictions support scheme, a new enhanced restart grant, the extension of tax warehousing, a commitment on 9% VAT for tourism and the continuation of waivers for rates and so forth.

If we do not act, there will be a break in compliance, confidence and the trust that has been built between the State and these people. That trust is already fracturing. We have already seen high-profile restaurateurs like Paul Treyvaud in Killarney stating on national television that he will open not today or tomorrow but on 1 July, come hell or high water. It is the date he will open his high-profile restaurant on the main street in Killarney. He is holding the Government accountable to supply a roadmap to allow him to do so by that date.The conversation he sparked shows a frustration of which the Minister is well aware. Are we getting to the point where compliance is being tested and people are no longer looking for a sympathetic word, but for that roadmap?

I am hopeful for the future of the industry. The Irish Tourism Industry Confederation has identified various scenarios for industry growth and a full recovery of jobs and revenue back to 2019 levels over the next number of years. There is hope there. The illumination of monuments across the world in green shows the grá for Ireland and the hope.

The Minister concluded on the issue of digital green cards. She referred to not providing false hope, and I recognise that. However, we cannot on one side recognise how much the international tourism industry is worth and on the other side say we do not have a clear pathway out of the current situation.

I am thankful for this debate. We have various practitioners coming before us at committee tomorrow and we need to offer more than a pat on the head. We need to provide this clear pathway for them so they can trade successfully in whatever limited way we provide for them.