Pat Casey (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Government and the Minister for the supports for the hospitality sector over the last two years. As the Minister will know, I am directly involved. As he pointed out, at the end of this month we are coming off all the supports that have been there for the past two years. We always get used to supports and we have to try to wean ourselves off them. We are in a challenging position at the moment. Senator Maria Byrne mentioned staff shortages and there is also the cost of living, so it is appropriate to try to extend the VAT rate into early next year to try to give that certainty and confidence to go into next year and to sustain and develop our product. All I can do is thank the Minister from my family point of view and from a personal business point of view. To follow on from Senator Maria Byrne's point, we would have failed too without the Government’s support over the last two years. Everybody out there in business recognises that, accepts that and is grateful for that. We are equally grateful today for the extension of the VAT rate for the hospitality sector.