Pat Casey (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. I thank Deputy Niamh Smyth and Senator Carrigy for the report. I acknowledge the work on the 9% VAT rate, which was critically important and much appreciated. Like Senator Conway, I would love a debate on the wider issue of VAT on the hospitality sector and where it should lie. Drink needs to be brought into it. We must look realistically at where the VAT rate is. We must stop having this argument every two years about whether it is going up or down. I would like a wider debate on the correct VAT rate for the hospitality sector.

I had not intended speaking in this debate, as I was focused on the Bill that is before the House next but Senator Gavan got my blood pressure going for a good while when I was listening to him in the Chair. As someone who has lived my whole life in the hotel sector it was hard to listen to a lot of what he said, but I will take it on the chin. Workers are the greatest asset for the hospitality sector. It is not in any employer's interest to abuse staff. I have never done it in my career and I think the majority in the hospitality sector have not done it either. It is very easy to come in here and talk about regular hours and not working unsocial hours but if we do not want hospitality workers to work unsocial hours then let us go out Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.