Pat Casey (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As I said, I had not intended coming in to speak but Senator Gavan got my blood boiling while listening in my office. I love my industry. It has a significant role to play in the economy and in every community in rural Ireland. It is a lifeline to those communities. We are seeing that being affected by hotels being taken over with refugees and the damage it is doing to the whole economy of our rural communities, because it is not doing what it was meant to do. The uncertainty of our sector is another reason why hotels are taking in refugees. It is an awful lot easier for somebody in hospitality to convert to accommodating refugees because of the fixed costs. One knows exactly the number of staff needed and one is not there waiting for something to happen.