Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Acting Chairperson for the warm welcome to Ciara. I am looking for debate, and possibly a joint debate with the Ministers of State, Deputies Rabbitte and Madigan, on the issue of summer provision. We have had numerous discussions on the subject at the Joint Committee on Autism. If we want to make changes for summer 2023, those changes need to be made now. We had a number of teachers' unions and representative bodies before the committee yesterday. They highlighted the lack of teachers who are taking part and the lack of teachers who are putting themselves forward for summer provision and, therefore, the severe lack of schools providing the summer provision.

The reality is that 80% of the children, particularly those in special schools, got no summer provision last year. That is more than 6,500 kids with severe needs who got no provision. Those children regressed by the time they went back to school. We need to address that issue now. I am looking for a joint debate on the summer provision for 2023 with both Ministers of State.

I concur with the comments made by Senator Casey with regard to tourism and the 9% VAT. A number of months ago we met at committee level with the Irish Hotels Federation on the issue of price gouging in hotels. The reality is, however, that these were hotels in Dublin, in particular. That has created the situation where there is no talk of the VAT rate being extended. The final answer on that has yet to be fully decided. We need a conversation about it and to ensure we maintain our industry. As Senator Buttimer said, it is not just hotels, but it is across the whole sector, including cafés. If we look at a number of countries in Europe, they split the VAT rate between restaurants and hotels.

Last August, I was in the Diamond Coast Hotel in Enniscrone. We spent three nights there as a family of five for €700. This was in the month of August. That was reasonable. That was replicated throughout the country. It just seemed to be in Dublin, in particular, that there were these severely prices. I do not think everybody else should pay for that.