Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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297. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment whether under consumer law a hotel is obliged to indicate all taxes or services fees in the overall price when a customer is making a booking or reservation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50728/26]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Under Irish and EU consumer protection law, all businesses which offer services to consumers must ensure that their pricing is clear and transparent, including hotels and providers of other non-residential accommodation.

While there are no sector-specific pricing rules for hotels, where they operate a restaurant, bar or cafe, specific legislation for displaying food and drink prices must be followed.

In relation to hotel bookings, the total price must be provided to the consumer at the point of booking and before they enter into the contract, as outlined in the Consumer Rights Act 2022. This price must be inclusive of all taxes, and any additional charges/service fees must also be clearly communicated to the consumer. If it is not possible for a business to provide their prices or additional fees prior to entering into the contract, they must provide the consumer with clear information on how the prices will be calculated.

Furthermore, under the Consumer Protection Act 2007, businesses must not provide false, misleading or deceptive information in relation to the price of their services. They must also not mislead consumers by omitting, concealing or withholding information on the price of a service or by providing pricing information that is unclear, unintelligible, ambiguous or untimely, and may lead them to make financial decisions they would not otherwise make. Such practices would be considered misleading commercial practices under consumer protection law.