Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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282. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his views on job losses and closures in the pub sector, if he will implement measures to help this sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48128/14]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Pubs and off-licences are regulated by the Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald TD, under the liquor licencing laws and I have no direct function in relation to this sector. However, the Government is focussed on ensuring that jobs are created and sustained across the whole economy and has introduced a series of measures since coming into office to support the wider hospitality sector. For example, the Government’s Jobs Initiative of May 2011 placed a significant focus on the tourism and hospitality sector and introduced the reduced 9% VAT rate which helped provide an important stimulus to the sector generally. This measure, which was originally intended to run until the end of 2013, has been retained in the last two Budgets. This initiative has benefited the wider tourism industry, including many public houses which provide catering services that attract the 9% VAT rate. There are now more than 25,000 extra people employed in Tourism than was the case in mid-2011.

Since its inception in 2012, the Action Plan for Jobs process has seen over 600 actions being implemented which are aimed at supporting businesses to create and sustain jobs, including in the wider hospitality sector.

The latest Tourism and Travel data released by the CSO on 11th December indicates that the number of overseas visitors to Ireland increased by over 9% - or approximately 500,000 additional visitors - for the first nine months of 2014 compared to the same period last year. Expenditure by overseas visitors, which will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the pub sector, also increased by €241 million, or 9.3%, in the first nine months of 2014.

The 2015 Action Plan for Jobs, which I am currently preparing on behalf of the Government, will continue to place an emphasis on supporting the domestic economy and on improving cost competitiveness for businesses in all sectors. The Action Plan will be published early in the New Year.