Vincent P Martin (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The decision to retain the 9% VAT rate will be most welcome among stakeholders and is a sign the Government is listening. I concur with the remarks of Senator Kyne that it will be a lifeline for them. While there may be grounds to extend it further, at least this extension gives sufficient space to have that discussion at a later date. It is a positive and essential move for a sector that has been almost devastated.