Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful to the Acting Chairperson and the staff for this opportunity to speak and I will certainly abide by the time limit. I thank my colleagues Senators Crowe and Blaney for their assistance. The Minister is very welcome to the House. I sincerely thank her for all the work she has been doing, along with the Government, in a most difficult time. I want to give the message I have from people in the hotel and restaurant sector in Roscommon. We have to try, as the vaccination programme moves along, to allow an opening of our facilities in hotels and restaurants to retrieve some of the lost business. As the Minister knows, summer business is vital. It is the time when most of these people make some money. There has been a huge loss of revenue. We do not need to tell the Minister. Really and truly, as the vaccination programme moves ahead and the numbers come down, we have to make some arrangements to get this business back.

Another factor, which is a disaster for the business, and I am sure Senator Casey could speak about it far better than people like me, is the loss of staff. I have spoken to some staff who were employed in the industry for years and they have lost faith in the tourism sector. There will be an issue when we get back up and open as to how we will source staff. I look forward to bringing the Minister to the many fine places we have throughout County Roscommon. I remind her that Rathcroghan, near Tulsk, was one of Ireland's six royal sites and it has great prospects for the future.

I thank the Acting Chairperson for allowing me to speak. I give my full support to the revitalisation of the industry. All of the schemes have been fantastic and we have to try to keep them going.There will be money to be spent by the public when all these services open again. I have no doubt about it. Míle buíochas.