Carol Nolan: Calls for action as hospitality sheds 20,000 jobs
Carol Nolan outlines urgent concerns for Ireland's tourism and hospitality sector, citing CSO data that shows a near 20,000 fall in food-led hospitality jobs over the last year. She stresses the need for targeted government intervention to protect rural businesses and the 2,200 tourism jobs in her Offaly constituency.
Carol Nolan highlights recent CSO labour force figures showing employment in food-led hospitality falling from 136,000 to 116,000, a 14.7% decline. She warns that thousands of jobs and the viability of rural hotels, restaurants and pubs are at risk as businesses struggle with rising costs.
Speaking for her constituency of Offaly, Nolan notes tourism supports 2,200 jobs locally and says she stands with Offaly Hoteliers and the Irish Hotel Federation. She frames the sector's problems as national: unsustainable insurance premiums, high energy charges, regulatory burdens and reduced consumer spending are squeezing businesses across Ireland.
Nolan welcomes the government's reintroduction of the 9% VAT rate for food and catering services as a necessary step, but argues that one measure will not suffice. She calls for targeted government intervention and further measures to safeguard the long-term sustainability of the tourism economy.
The speech sets out the immediate data and the policy gap facing the hospitality sector. Nolan urges action to prevent further job losses and to help rural Ireland remain competitive for both domestic and international visitors.
Immediate concern: job losses and business viability
Carol Nolan highlights recent CSO labour force figures showing employment in food-led hospitality falling from 136,000 to 116,000, a 14.7% decline. She warns that thousands of jobs and the viability of rural hotels, restaurants and pubs are at risk as businesses struggle with rising costs.
Local impact in Offaly and nationwide context
Speaking for her constituency of Offaly, Nolan notes tourism supports 2,200 jobs locally and says she stands with Offaly Hoteliers and the Irish Hotel Federation. She frames the sector's problems as national: unsustainable insurance premiums, high energy charges, regulatory burdens and reduced consumer spending are squeezing businesses across Ireland.
Policy response and assessment of measures
Nolan welcomes the government's reintroduction of the 9% VAT rate for food and catering services as a necessary step, but argues that one measure will not suffice. She calls for targeted government intervention and further measures to safeguard the long-term sustainability of the tourism economy.
Outlook and urgency
The speech sets out the immediate data and the policy gap facing the hospitality sector. Nolan urges action to prevent further job losses and to help rural Ireland remain competitive for both domestic and international visitors.
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Transcript
Go raibh maith agat, lás ceann Comhairle, I'm happy to speak on the critical importance of tourism and the hospitality sector, particularly as we face mounting challenges that threaten thousands of jobs and the viability of businesses right across rural Ireland. In my own constituency of Offaly, tourism supports 2,200 jobs so I stand firmly with Offaly Hoteliers and indeed with the Irish Hotel Federation in their call for targeted government intervention to protect this vital industry. As I stated earlier this year, we must deliver measures to safeguard the long-term sustainability of our local tourism economy. The sector is under severe pressure. Recent CSO labour force survey figures reveal a stark reality. Employment in food-led hospitality has plummeted by nearly 20,000 jobs over the last year, falling from 136,000 to 116,000 and this represents a 14.7% decline. Wider hospitality employment has also dropped significantly, with businesses grappling with unsustainable cost increases, high insurance premiums, energy charges among the highest in Europe and growing consumer price sensitivity. I welcome the government's decision to reintroduce the 9% VAT rate for food and catering services. This was certainly positive and necessary. However, a single measure alone will not be enough. The rising costs of doing business, from insurance and energy to regulatory burdens, continue to squeeze businesses. At the same time increases in the cost of living are reducing disposable income for Irish consumers and making Ireland less competitive for international visitors. Go raibh maith agat.