Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Leader will acknowledge the level of supports that have been put in place for businesses over successive budgets. Much of that was absolutely warranted to ensure we protected jobs during Covid and in the context of the increases in the cost of energy over successive winters, which had a huge impact on the viability of businesses. There is still a demand from businesses to look at the VAT rate for their sectors. I appreciate that the full cost of the reduction to 9% for the hospitality, food and catering sectors would be in the order of €764 million. If it were confined just to food and catering, it would be €545 million. I appreciate it is a substantial level of funding but I would ask that the Leader engage with the Minister for Finance. I will engage with Ministers within my own parliamentary party on some changes to the VAT rate for the food, catering and hospitality sectors. Government has rightly protected staff through sick pay and additional bank holidays over recent years, which has put added costs onto businesses. It is the right thing to do but, at the same time, we have to acknowledge that there is a threat to those same businesses in the form of the cost of keeping their doors open. It is important that a support package is put in place. It has been acknowledged that the increased cost of business grant provided substantial funding last year. There is certainly a need, whether it be through VAT, rates or some other means, to ensure businesses are kept viable and jobs are protected over the coming year.