Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House and I look forward to the engagement with her. I know she has a very clear understanding of what is required, as do others. The tourism sector is in a very different position now from what it was in previously. Even with the potential for some opening up over the summer, the tourism mix is very different. It is very clear we will not have the inbound tourism upon which the survival of so many people depends. We will have to reorient the entire tourism product.

There has been engagement with the Irish Hotels Federation and others. They have some very fair and appropriate claims to make, with which the Minister will be familiar. They are looking for the Covid restrictions support scheme to change in nature by doubling the payment amounts, irrespective of the level of Covid restrictions. They want the employment wage subsidy scheme extended until the end of 2021, appropriate banking measures put in place, Government support to ensure that certain moratoriums are put in place on lending, tourism VAT of 9% to continue until 2025 and a refund on the pass-through charges on energy and utilities.Obviously, they want the continuation of the local authority waiver rates. Those are appropriate. It is right that the Minister would fight her corner, as I know she will, for that to happen. The reality is many of them are small businesses that need continued State support even with the opening up or the relaxing of restrictions.

I also received communication from the Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions. Its members run a number of facilities in my county such as the Aillwee Cave and the Doolin Cave, and many more visitor attractions. They are somewhat concerned that The Path Ahead plan, which was rightly launched with some fanfare, seems to have removed them from being allowed to reopen at level 3. They say:

Visitor attractions are professionally controlled spaces ... highly experienced in managing people flows ... and 85% of members provide online ticket booking to support capacity management in these attractions. They have also extensively invested in new and updated safety measures and training, including that by Fáilte Ireland, around the Covid-19 safety charter so they are perfectly placed to reopen as safe spacious places. There are many well-documented positive mental health benefits associated with the enjoyment of culture and the arts. The lockdown experience showed us how we can create beautiful and aesthetic experiences for our emotional well-being.

They have set out clearly that their visitors attractions are a key part of a destination product offering uniquely presenting a ripple uplift on surrounding accommodation, restaurants and other tourism offerings. Given the likelihood outbound international travel for Irish holiday makers will be hugely curtailed this summer, and recognising that there will little, if any, inbound tourism, there is an onus on all of us involved at State level to try to ensure these facilities are supported and the restrictions are lifted at the appropriate time. What they are appealing for is that they be allowed to open under level 3 restrictions.

I am also concerned about smaller operations, in particular, the Clare Heritage and Genealogy Centre in Corofin, which expected to be initially included under the CRSS, but that did not happen. Unfortunately, it missed the deadline of 8 March for the tourism business continuity scheme. This was through no fault of its own, but because of close contact with Covid and staff not being able to perform their duties, the centre missed the deadline for getting its application in. Can the Minister look at schemes with specific deadlines and perhaps extend the deadlines to cater for business like that, if at all possible? As other Members have identified, there have been some savings on the other end. There are exceptional circumstances for all sorts of reasons when people miss deadlines. It would be a shame if some of these facilities do not survive because of being unable to get on to a scheme.

I raised the case of Sean Kilkenny of Dromoland Castle, who runs a jarvey business, with the Minister previously and I know she has had interaction with him. The pressure on that man is immense. There is no doubt the pressure on his business has taken a considerable toll on him and his family. I appeal to the Minister to examine businesses such as his, which have significant costs and have fallen between the cracks under many schemes. He has rental costs and the cost of maintaining his animals but there is still no business in sight. I appeal to the Minister again to look at facilities such as that. I am taken by comments from Fota Island and others businesses that have significant costs to maintain animals over a protracted period. We should find a way to support and help them. They were all viable, solid businesses before Covid hit. They have the potential to be viable businesses on the other side of Covid. The mental pressure and torture experienced by many of these operators has driven them to extremes. What we need to do as a Government is to find ways to support people who find themselves in really difficult situations but are prepared to put in the hard graft to get their businesses back up and running when we get to a point when the economy can be opened up.